SUMMARY
- The Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game saw Micah Parsons dominate, winning MVP.
- Parsons' victory came after a pre-game banter where Smith mocked him.
The NBA League witnessed a Saturday night hoops exhibition between the teams of two sports analysts. While one team was led by ESPN analyst and First Take star Stephen A. Smith, Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe guided the other one. It’s worth noting that both teams even had celebrity coaches to guide the players. Among those 25 celebrity players at the Lucas Oil Stadium on February 16, 2024, Micah Parsons dominated the floor.
The linebacker of the Dallas Cowboys outshined everyone in the 2024 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. And his victory tasted bitter to ESPN’s Stephen A., as the latter was quite critical of the linebacker earlier. Reverting to the ever-active banter between him and Stephen A., the edge rusher made a bold statement while winning the MVP trophy.
MICAH PARSONS WINS MVP IN THE NBA CELEBRITY ALL-STAR GAME
AND THREW A SHOT AT STEPHEN A. SMITH 👀 pic.twitter.com/p9DHnL2ywS
— Dallas Nation 🏆 (@TheDallasNation) February 17, 2024
In his MVP acceptance speech, the defensive elite didn’t hold back on his words and exclaimed, “Stephen A. Smith has the best lineup… on paper. He had every type of basketball great. We played it all. You can’t outplay heart, and all my teammates played with heart.” He even made a comment that was directed at Stephen A. He said, “I crossed him up yesterday and gave it to him today. Stephen A.”
Cowboys fans watching Micah Parsons hand Stephen A. an L at #NBAAllStar #FirstTake pic.twitter.com/ah3QUD4fdN
— FanDuel Canada (@FanDuelCanada) February 17, 2024
Well, those words point towards an emboldened rivalry between the two. After all, after the star edge rusher contributed to Stephen’s trip to the hospital, Smith’s commentary has only gotten more ubiquitous. Read further to learn what happened at the practice game.
Stephen A. Smith’s remarks drove Micah Parsons to register a win
One day before facing off on the all-new LED court, Stephen A. Smith couldn’t resist his urge to troll the Cowboys’ linebacker. As he started messing around with Micah Parsons, Parsons responded with a swift crossover. Apparently, the weak ankles of the 56-year-old weren’t ready to sustain that shock. Ultimately, the slated coach of one of the NBA All-Star Game’s teams fell flat on the floor.
“There was some sweat on the floor … I literally bust my ass!” 😅@stephenasmith set the record straight as to why he slipped on the basketball court 😭 pic.twitter.com/jbGVNICa48
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 16, 2024
After getting the X-rays done, Smith was quick to present his side of the story. He blamed some sweat on the floor, which made him slip. Minutes later, the analyst not only called Parson a ‘pathological liar’ but also said, “Crossed over by a Cowboy, by Micah Parsons, are you kidding?”
The ESPN personality didn’t stop there; he also called the Cowboys’ star an ‘offensive foul waiting to happen’. Turns out, the defensive elite made it fair and square on the court tonight, as he stood by the stat line he predicted for himself.
Micah Parsons creates history on the all-new LED court
During the intermission, Parsons predicted that he would score somewhere near 40 points tonight. And while leading the team Shannon to a 9-point win vs. team Stephen A. Smith, Parson edged 37 points and 16 rebounds, with 4 steals. The battle in the lone two-star state was worth the billing, indeed, as the two football giants went face-to-face against one another.
Micah Parsons went OFF in All-Star Celebrity Game 😳🔥
37 PTS
16 REB
4 STL
MVP pic.twitter.com/FmanSmyXmA— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 17, 2024
Parsons brought his aggression to the court and won the MVP title while making history on the LED court. It’s worth noting that the court had 25 million LEDs lighting the arena. This LED court could have endless animations, especially the dynamic three-point line.