Three Picks on Who Could Be the 2026 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP
The 2026 NBA All-Star weekend is almost here, and the first event that always takes place to kick off this exciting weekend is the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. This year, we have former players such as Jason Williams, Jeremy Lin, and Tacko Fall, while also having Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, record producer Mustard, rapper Glorilla, and actor Simu Liu. Even Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia will be participating on actor and comedian Anthony Anderson’s team. While the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game is a hit or miss for some NBA fans, it always drives momentum into the next events taking place over the weekend, depending on whether any viral moments, crazy scores, or crossovers occur, as well as seeing some of the most well-known celebrities show off their ball abilities.
This game’s MVP has never been a former NBA player, as these players help facilitate the game to be smoother and make passes to the other stars. That would eliminate Williams, Lin, and Fall from the list, unless one of these former NBA players goes off for 50-plus points. Which means there has to be some influencer, comedian, businessman, rapper, or actor who takes home the award. Actor Dylan Wang will make his third NBA All-Star Celebrity Game appearance, while sprinter Andre De Grasse and Simu Liu are making their second outings at the game. While former and current WNBA stars have dominated this game, a woman has never won the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP, leading many to believe that Glorilla, influencer Taylor Frankie Paul, and influencer Jenna Bandy would not win the award unless they deliver a jaw-dropping performance.
One pick on who could be the 2026 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP is last year’s MVP actor, Rome Flynn. Last year, Flynn led Team Barry Bonds to a 66-55 win over Team Jerry Rice. During the win, The Bold and the Beautiful actor put up a game-high 22 points while collecting eight rebounds and dishing out five assists. Another ridiculous outing from the 34-year-old would absolutely give him a solid shot at winning back-to-back MVP Awards, becoming the third celebrity since comedian Kevin Hart and NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens to win the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP more than once. This would put Flynn in the likes of one of the best to appear in the game since its creation during the 2003-2004 NBA season.
A second pick for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP is ESPN’s own reporter, Shams Charania. At 31 years old, Charania is at his physical prime, and with his job as an NBA journalist and reporter, I’m sure he’s taken plenty of shots on the court alongside some of the league’s best names, gaining the on-court experience he’ll need for this matchup. ESPN is the one airing the game in the first place; it would be ironic, but it wouldn’t be a big surprise if the multimedia company did what they could to give their own guy a push to win the award. This is the ESPN reporter’s first appearance in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game; it would be a shock to many if Shams not only knows how to deliver NBA news quickly through his X account but also balls out in this game as well.
The final pick on who could be the 2026 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP is influencer Adrien Nunez. The influencer/singer/songwriter played high school basketball and was part of a highly rated class for the Michigan Wolverines during the 2018-2019 season, and playing for the Wolverines inside a tough Big Ten Conference from 2018-2022 gives Nunez the experience that little to no one has in this game. Being 26 years old puts Nunez at an advantage, as his speed and quickness could allow him to get past some of the older or slower celebrities to put up easy shots. It will be a showcase if Nunez can challenge his former high school and college days and put Team Anthony Anderson on his back.
