Retired Taiwanese-American basketball star Jeremy Lin is set to return to the NBA All-Star Weekend in the US, making his debut in the Celebrity Game on Friday next week.
The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the rosters of the two celebrity teams, who are to play at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The announcement marks Lin’s second consecutive year of involvement at the NBA All-Star Weekend, following his debut as an honorary head coach for last year’s NBA Rising Stars mini-tournament.
Photo: CNA
Lin joins an 11-person roster that includes 2.29m former NBA player Tacko Fall, ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania, American comedian and actor Keegan-Michael Key, and Chinese actor and singer Dylan Wang.
The other members are social media basketball personality Jenna Bandy, actor Rome Flynn, Charlotte Hornets cochairman Rick Schnall, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St Brown, two-time FIFA World Cup champion Cafu and rapper GloRilla.
Lin’s team is to be coached by two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) and NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, alongside his brothers — Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo — and four-time MLB World Series champion and American League MVP Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The official Instagram account of the NBA All-Star also announced Lin’s participation in a post, which Lin shared.
Shortly after turning 37, Lin in August last year announced his retirement after a 15-year professional career in the NBA, and leagues in Taiwan and China.
Lin in June last year was part of the New Taipei Kings squad who won the Taiwan Professional Basketball League Finals.
Players on the opposing team at the Celebrity Game include retired NBA champion Jason “White Chocolate” Williams, seven-time Olympic medalist sprinter Andre de Grasse and actor Simu Liu.
The other players are Indian rapper Badshah, Dude Perfect cofounder Cody Jones, Phoenix Suns chairman Mat Ishbia, music producer Mustard, singer and Internet personality Adrien Nunez, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen and Nicholas Vansteenberghe, a participant in the US version of Love Island.
The coaches for the opposing team are actor and comedian Anthony Anderson, NBA shooting coach Lethal Shooter and NBA player development trainer Chris Brickley.
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev was the only athlete to “beat” a world record on Sunday at the Enhanced Games, winning the men’s 50m freestyle at the divisive competition where athletes were free to take performance-enhancing substances. His time of 20.81 seconds — which is not considered official — came in the final event of the night in Las Vegas, sparing the blushes of organizers who made claims that multiple world records would be surpassed due to a sophisticated doping regime. Gkolomeev, who was wearing a synthetic “supersuit” long banned at events such as the Olympics, outpaced Australia’s Cameron McEvoy’s 20.88 set in
Fred Kerley is competing unaugmented against drug-fuelled athletes at this weekend’s Enhanced Games and still hopes to race in the 2028 Olympics, the suspended former 100m world champion said on Friday. Arguably the biggest name at the divisive event in Las Vegas, where doping is permitted, the US sprinter said he had chosen not to take any of the banned substances including testosterone and steroids that his competitors have been using. “I don’t need it. God gave me fast feet for a reason. And I’m here to showcase my talent,” Kerley said. Kerley last September became the first US competitor and first track
The manager of the Yomiuri Giants, one of Japan’s most popular baseball teams, resigned yesterday after he was arrested for allegedly physically attacking his teenage daughter. Shinnosuke Abe allegedly grabbed the 18-year-old and forced her to the floor at their home in central Tokyo on Monday evening, reported national broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News, citing unnamed police sources. “Leaving like this really means I’m causing you a lot of trouble, and I feel truly sorry about that,” Abe told a hastily arranged news conference, his eyes red with tears. The former star catcher, who is among baseball-obsessed Japan’s most recognized sports figures,
VICTORY ABROAD: The team took home a fistful of medals and secured spots for the autumn’s Asian Games, scheduled for September in Nagoya Taiwan’s women’s team captured the overall title at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Mongolia on Sunday, finishing with two golds, one silver and one bronze medal. The strong showing, led by gold medalists Wang Chieh-ling and Chang Jui-en secured the full quota of available spots for Taiwan at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in September. Wang opened Taiwan’s medal run by winning gold in the women’s under-46kg class on Thursday, the first day of competition. Liu Yu-yun later earned a silver in the under-49kg class. On the final day on Sunday, Chang won Taiwan’s second gold medal in the under-62kg event, and
RSS