NBA All-Star Celebrity Game 2019 Preview: Marc Lasry to team up with Ray Allen
By Adam McGee
There will be plenty of Milwaukee Bucks interest in Friday’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, as co-owner Marc Lasry plays alongside franchise great Ray Allen.
All-Star weekend is officially upon us, and an exciting weekend for Milwaukee Bucks fans will get underway on Friday night.
Before Khris Middleton takes to the court for the three-point shootout on Saturday, and then joins captain Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s team coached by Mike Budenholzer and the Bucks’ assistants for the big game on Sunday, the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game will provide a first taste of Bucks’ interest.
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Milwaukee co-owner Marc Lasry will again take to the court in the opening event of All-Star weekend, making his fourth appearance in the Celebrity Game. That makes Lasry a true veteran, as only Terrence Jenkins (5) outranks him in overall appearances from this year’s group.
In spite of the budding chemistry Lasry displayed alongside Justin Bieber, in particular, in last year’s game, the 59-year-old will have to adjust to an entirely new group of teammates this year. Still, that’s not to say there aren’t notable additions in that group.
Lasry will be joined by Migos’ Quavo, who scored 19 points en route to taking MVP honors in last year’s game. Likely to raise even more eyebrows among Bucks fans, though, is Ray Allen’s presence on Lasry’s team.
Allen’s Hall of Fame NBA career started out in Milwaukee, where he was a key component of the last Bucks team to win a playoff series. Allen ultimately left the Bucks due to an infamous trade with the Seattle Supersonics, and has remained a notably absent figure at significant Bucks events since retiring.
Allen spoke highly of his time in Milwaukee during his Hall of Fame induction speech, and considering the way in which the Bucks have embraced franchise greats in recent years, it certainly seems like he’d be someone the organization would like to welcome back into the wider Bucks family.
An immensely popular figure among fans in Milwaukee, could Allen’s relationship with the organization be repaired behind the stellar two-man game him and Lasry will inevitably unleash on Friday night?
Lasry will likely have his own priorities, though, having performed impressively in his previous appearances in the Celebrity All-Star Game.
After scoring eight points and grabbing six rebounds in his 2016 debut, Lasry added nine points and two rebounds in 2017, before having to settle for a more modest three points and two rebounds in his outing last year.
That may leave Milwaukee’s owner with a bounceback mentality on Friday. Could this finally be Lasry’s MVP year?
In full, Lasry’s team, coached by Sue Bird, will include Allen, Quavo, Ronnie 2K, A.J. Buckley, Bad Bunny, Stefanie Dolson, Hasan Minhaj, Adam Ray, Amanda Seales, James Shaw Jr., and Brad Williams.
Lasry and Allen’s opponents will be coached by Dawn Staley, and will include Mike Colter, Chris Daughtry, Terrence J, Famous Los, Dr. Oz, Rapsody, Bo Rinehart, JB Smoove, Steve Smith, A’ja Wilson, Jay Williams and Jason Weinmann.
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The game will take place from Bojangles Coliseum, and will tip-off at 7pm ET live on ESPN.