Comedian Kevin Hart will officially serve as first on-court emcee of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game in its reimagined format. The event will take place at Chase Center — home of the Golden State Warriors — on Sunday.
The NBA said Hart’s role will be to “add a layer of comedic disruption into the live game” while also hyping up of the players and fans.
The announcement was made by the league through a video in which Golden State star Draymond Green personally calls Hart to invite him to the event. Hart is ecstatic about it but wants to take a bigger role than just sitting and watching the action. He then calls Shaquille O’Neal, one of the All-Star teams’ general managers, in an attempt to make his takeover official.
Hart talked up his jumper and handles, but he will not be getting in the game with the real NBA All-Stars. However, he does seem like a fitting choice for emcee because of his strong ties to the league. He was named MVP in the All-Star Celebrity Game four straight years from 2012-2015. No other celebrity has earned the honor more times.
The Philadelphia native, a well-known 76ers fan, is also known for teasing NBA players whenever he sits courtside. In 2017, there was a viral story of how when James Harden played for the Rockets, Hart trashed talked him so much that he dropped 51 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists against the Sixers.
Besides comedy and acting, Hart also has experience hosting events such as the BET Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and MTV Movie Awards.
