The NBA All-Star Game returned to the Bay Area for the 2025 edition. San Francisco and Oakland are epicenters of sports and culture, but the game itself was under scrutiny for the format of play. The league tried a new bracket style competition where Shaq's Team OGs beat Chuck's Global Stars 41-25 to be crowned champions. Stephen Curry won the All-Star Game MVP in front of his own Golden State Warriors fans after scoring 12 points in the final game.
"This one was extra special playing in the Bay," the 11-time All-Star said on X after receiving his second All-Star MVP honor. "Love the game more than you’ll ever know. Appreciate everyone who’s helped me get here. Nothing short of GRATEFUL!"
Even if the players seemed happy, fans complained that the event was more entertainment than basketball game. Kevin Hart was full of antics as a host and a performance by Too $hort, E-40, Saweetie and En Vogue on its own was fantastic, but some said took away from what NBA fans actually wanted to see. Kevin Durant, a member of Team OGs, commented on the complaints on X, suggesting that the league should "cancel all star weekend and let’s just give everybody a break since we’re so miserable around this time…"
But that would mean that all the fun festivities around NBA All-Star Weekend would be gone, too. The weekend brings the community together and celebrates the culture of the game, including music, fashion and food.
Here are Kick The Concrete's 5 highlights from 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend:
Sheryl Swoopes cheers A'ja Wilson for getting Nike signature shoe
A'ja Wilson is the first Black woman in more than two decades to have a signature sneaker with Nike. Sheryl Swoopes was the first woman basketball player in history to have a signature shoe when she signed with Nike in 1995. Since the announcement of the three-time MVP's sneaker in May, hype has been building and we now have a release date for the A'One. It is due out May 8 in the Pink A'ura colorway. There is also a pearlized white color on the way and an apparel collection.
The A'One was all over NBA All-Star Weekend. At a Nike event, Swoopes shared an emotional speech passing the torch to Wilson.
"It's about f*cking time," Swoopes told the crowd in a video posted by sneaker reporter Nick DePaula. "You can bleep that if you want, but it is. I feel so lucky to be part of the Nike basketball family for more than 30 years now and I love to see how the brand continues to champion women's basketball and the athletes who play it."
Swoopes commented on how Nike didn't have a marketing department for women at the time she released the Air Swoopes and how Wilson's carefully crafted apparel collection is another sign of growth for women. She also pointed out Nike's "So Win." Super Bowl LIX commercial that celebrated its women athletes as forward progress. For all of those reasons, the opportunity to toast Wilson at NBA All-Star meant a lot.
"This moment today is not just about A'ja Wilson. This moment today is not just about what Sheryl Swoopes did. This moment is so much bigger than the two of us," the Hall of Famer continued. "... This moment right now for me fills my heart, it fills my soul, it fills my spirit. ... This moment will absolutely go down as one of the biggest, most special times in my life because this woman standing next to me, I've got mad crazy love and respect for who you are."
P-Lo's Function on the Ferry
P-Lo did NBA All-Star Weekend big in his hometown. The Bay Area rapper and producer brought together the local music scene via his "For The Soil" EP, which was released through Golden State Entertainment. He made appearances throughout the week's festivities, including at Jordan Fam Fest.
But what really caught our attention was P-Lo's Function on the Ferry. The event, which was a partnership with Noise Complaints, looked like a whole lot of fun and what's better than partying on the water? DJ SHELLHEART and Noodles got the crowd going with lively sets on the 1s and 2s as the Bay Bridge lingered in the background. Then P-Lo and Aux Cord, who perform as the DJ duo The Big Guy, took the stage. They played original mixes of songs from Lil B The Based God, Summer Walker, Field Mob, Waka Flocka Flame and even Kylie Minogue. Definitely a good time.
Round21 Bay Takeover Pizza Party
Round21 has been making major waves in the sports merchandise space by partnering with local artists and sports teams. Their latest collection with the new WNBA team, the Golden State Valkyries, was unveiled over NBA All-Star Weekend in the Bay Area. The pieces make the Valkyrie Violet really shine.
Round21 engaged with the community by having a Bay Takeover event at Goodfella’s Pizzeria & Grill. More than 300 people showed up to eat, drink, shop and laugh. Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes helped get the party started!
Mac McClung wins third straight Slam Dunk Contest
The NBA might as well rename the Slam Dunk trophy after Mac McClung at this point. The guard, who mostly plays in the G-League, won his third straight contest with little competition. He wowed the crowd at the Chase Center, and, most importantly, judges Baron Davis, Kevin Garnett, Jason Richardson and Tracy McGrady, who went head-to-head with Vince Carter in the 2000 dunk contest.
To start things off, McClung one-upped Blake Griffin's Kia dunk from the 2011 contest. The former Clippers star jumped over the hood of the car, but McClung soared over the very top of the car. He then did a 360° dunk followed by a double dunk jumping over a person riding a hoverboard while also slamming a second ball held up by another assistant. For McClung's grand finale, he leaped over Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Evan Mobley (who is listed at 6'11"), TAPPED THE BALL ON THE RIM and then slammed the dunk.
McClung got perfect 50s for every dunk and the title was indisputably his.
"Truly stuff like this doesn't happen without sitting on the shoulders of a lot of people," he said after the win. "I had a lot of help. People were opening gyms to fit a car in. People were letting me use their car. I'm just really grateful right now."
Damian Lillard's Homecoming
Damian Lillard played in his ninth NBA All-Star Game and he's made his name as one of the leaders of basketball culture. The Oakland native raps under the name Dame D.O.L.L.A. and has a lifetime sneaker deal with adidas. This year's festivities in the Bay Area marked his homecoming.
Despite losing a shootout with a fan who won $100,000 and failing to defend his three-point contest title, the Bucks star made the weekend a positive one. He visited Ira Jinkins Recreation Center where he played basketball growing up. He and adidas pledged funds to help renovate the facilities. He also returned to his alma mater, Oakland High School, to give away pairs of his adidas Dame Time Superstars in partnership with Shoe Palace and share words of wisdom with the kids.
And that's not all! He created a scholarship fund in partnership with Portland State. Nine students from high schools throughout the area were given $25,000 per year to further their education. The former Portland Trail Blazers star said he hoped the funds helped ease the journey for students who go to college away from home like he did when he left Oakland to hoop at Weber State University in Utah.
"It's great seeing so many familiar faces and being around loved ones and sharing this entire experience with my people at this stage of my career," Lillard told KRON 4 reporter Ben Ross. "Overwhelming at times, I really grew up here and a lot of people want to show love and they want to support. It can be a lot. But overall, I'm just happy that I was able to have this experience and to be back here."
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