The 2025 NBA All-Star Game rolled out its highly anticipated new format, offering fans a revamped experience: a mini-tournament featuring four teams, including Team Shaq and Team Chuck. But amidst the spectacle, something darker lurked beneath the surface. The star-studded event, designed to push the boundaries of competitiveness, was also accompanied by a different kind of tension — a tension that a 2x WNBA Champion, couldn’t ignore.
“The players look like they’re being held hostage for these all-star game interviews,” Sydney Colson tweeted, revealing the pressure and discomfort athletes sometimes face in this massive media circus.
While the game itself unfolded in dramatic fashion, Colson’s tweet hit home, offering a raw take on the All-Star experience. This wasn’t the first time the pressure surrounding All-Star events has been called out — from Nikola Jokić being thrown off by Luka Dončić’s absence, to that really awkward moment when Kevin Harlan insisted Allie LaForce interview Chris Paul, and Wembanyama. And it wasn’t just the players who found themselves caught in the crossfire.
The players look like they’re being held hostage for these all star game interviews
— Sydney Colson (@SydJColson) February 17, 2025
Kevin Hart, usually known for his comedic genius, added to the awkward atmosphere of the evening with a series of cringe-worthy moments during the celebrity interviews. His attempts at humor fell flat, drawing more attention to the discomfort of the players being forced to entertain the crowd with what seemed like scripted banter. Between the forced interviews and constant pressure to perform for the cameras, Colson’s sentiment echoed the frustration many players feel under such conditions.
On the court, though, it was a different story. In the final, Team Shaq, consisting of seasoned NBA veterans like Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum, outclassed Team Chuck, whose squad was made up of international superstars like Nikola Jokić and the highly anticipated Victor Wembanyama. Team Shaq took an early 11-point lead, capitalizing on Team Chuck’s disastrous start — they missed their first 10 shots, digging themselves into a hole they couldn’t escape. Despite a valiant effort from Wembanyama, who led the Global Stars with 11 points, it was Curry’s sharp shooting and Tatum’s leadership that propelled Shaq’s OGs to a comfortable 41-25 victory. Curry earned MVP honors for his 12-point performance, including nine of the final 18 points in front of a home crowd at the Chase Center.
But while the basketball was fast and furious, Colson’s remarks about the All-Star Game’s off-court atmosphere hung heavily in the air
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