The NBA All-Star Weekend celebrates the accomplishments of teams throughout the league. The games and competitions are meant to be on the lighter side. Although some keep their competitiveness (as they should) and keep the intensity at a high level. The activities are there, but it’s mainly about the larger picture. In particular, it’s about showcasing your skills in a fun way and maybe doing a thing or two that you wouldn’t normally attempt. However, the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game can do an entirely different deal. Furthermore, egos and passion can quickly make things turn ugly as we saw in the aftermath of Friday’s events.
Do you think some of the participants are taking this aspect of the NBA All-Star Weekend too seriously?
NBA All-Star Weekend From The Celebrity Game
Team Shannon defeated Team Stephen A. Smith by a score of 100-91 during the celebrity matchup. Although the new game floor flashed LED lights throughout the night, that wasn’t the only spotlight moment from the evening. Tristan Jass and Kelsey Plum interacted which should have been a nothing-burger. But it boiled over into something far more.
Instead, as Jass went to meet Plum, the two exchanged an introduction with the WNBA player pleading with the Youtuber to pass the ball. This rubbed him the wrong way. While he seemed excited at first to meet someone he looked up to as a basketball player, he took to social media.
I had more assists at half time than she averaged her whole last season… AND more assists at half time then her whole career average… You pass the ball ?? @Kelseyplum10 https://t.co/YrlOBKd5nh
— Tristan Jass (@TristanJass) February 17, 2024
Decrying and criticizing Plum, he made it clear how disrespected he felt from the moment. “Pass the ball bro” turned into him bringing up her career averages and showing them side-by-side to his celebrity NBA All-Star Weekend stats. If that take is as ridiculous as it sounds, don’t worry you’re right! It is!
NBA All-Star Weekend To WNBA Career Comparison
Jass wants to dismiss the advice from Plum because he managed more assists in a heavily offensive-focused exhibition game. Comparing that to one of the professional greats in basketball is a move. It’s an interesting move, but a move nonetheless.
Saying that you average more of anything in one NBA All-Star Weekend event over anything accomplished in a professional league is plain stupidity. Everyone enjoys the event, but to be honest different levels of athletes and preparation show up to play. It’s more about the Guillermo plays that fans remember or see on replay 5-10 years from now. Bragging about any statistical feat here is silly.
Additionally, Plum is one of the best scorers in basketball. It took an unbelievable Caitlin Clark level of play to beat her record that looked unbeatable. That was a feat (in a regulation game) that received deserved admiration and would be something Clark more than deserves to boast about. But to dismiss friendly, well-intentioned advice from Plum is self-defeating. Additionally, her level of playmaking more than speaks for itself. To then take to X (Twitter) and put down her abilities goes too far.
Powerful Basketball Player Attends NBA All-Star Weekend With Credentials
Kelsey Plum continues to play at a high level. She is preparing for her seventh year in the WNBA and a third straight championship. The San Antonio Stars originally drafted Plum with the first overall pick. The Washington Huskies player set records there. While in college she averaged 25.4 PPG while accounting for 523 total assists. In her senior year, she averaged 4.8 assists per game, and over her career, she averaged 3.8 APG.
Meanwhile, as a pro, she continues to put up a solid stat line. After one year in San Antonio, she joined the Las Vegas Aces and has continued to excel since. Over her WNBA career, she has contributed nearly 14 PPG and 4 assists. However, she’s improving. During the 2023 regular season, the total went up to 18.7 PPG and 4.5 assists per game as well. In other words, she has the resume to give her basketball opinion at any time. And if you’re smart, you’ll listen. Especially at an NBA All-Star Weekend setting! The game doesn’t have much results-based meaning, but listening to someone like Plum is priceless!
Youtuber Lesson To Be Learned?
Sure, Jazz may have accomplished what he said in his tweets. But this shows just how misleading stats can be sometimes. During the run of a far more open exhibition play, he would pass. But it was only when a cherry-picking teammate (how you should approach this game) was fairly open and got an easy bucket in transition.
Meanwhile, just like on his YouTube channel, Jass continued to play mostly isolation in the half-court setting and threw up numerous bad shots. He’s very talented. His handles and how he finds creative ways to entertain are impressive. But playing with someone like him is frustrating. It’s someone who constantly needs the ball in their hands while taking shots that he would yell at you for and expects you to pass it back to him after you grab the offensive rebound.
He had a fun stat line for the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity game, that’s great! But Dismissing and disrespecting Kelsey Plum in the way he did was a missed opportunity to learn from a great basketball player.
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Gabriel Enjoys all things sports! Football, soccer, basketball, volleyball. You name it! Huge fan of the Nebraska Huskers and New England Patriots. Even bigger advocate of running the football!
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