Lucas Oil Stadium has been the scene of many football memories, but on Friday night, a round ball took to the field for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
There were stars on the court, both literally and figuratively, as celebrities' tough approach to the normally light-hearted game and the NBA's new LED courts were a big draw.
Don't miss the action:Everything you need to know about the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend
Attendees included actress, singer and talk show host Jennifer Hudson, several NFL players, IndyCar driver Conor Daly, and more than a dozen actors, influencers and musicians.
Here are seven takeaways from this game.
they worked pretty hard
Unlike past celebrity matches that I can recall, this year's teams took themselves pretty seriously. There weren't many clowns on either side. There are no props or trick shots.
At some point in the third quarter, the referee called a lane violation during a free throw attempt. This was a serious match.
Who played in the NBA Celebrity Game?Jennifer Hudson, Metta World Peace of Stars in Court
I don't know if it was for the best though? It's getting a little boring. I'm not sure if the purpose of the game is to score the jump shots of actors or soccer players.
NBA's new LED courts were pretty slick
The NBA debuted a new court that is essentially one giant LED screen. It was actually much cooler than I expected. Multicolored stars followed the steps on the court and fire graphics rang out after making baskets.
In the fourth quarter, various lines on the court moved around during the game.
Courts can be “activated” in different parts of the game to reveal new mini-games, such as double-value baskets. The real-life version of “NBA Jam” will probably be a year or two away. Please remember what I said.
more:Do you play basketball on glass? A closer look at the LED court that debuted at NBA All-Star Weekend
Where was everyone?
Maybe it was the weather (more than 6.5 inches of snow fell in Indianapolis on Friday night), but the seats were probably less than half full. People missed out.
Is Metta Sandiford-Artest unfair?
Only one team had a former NBA player (the Stephen A. Smith team). And Artest, formerly known as Ron, was a head taller than the other athletes. I feel like that's an advantage in a basketball game.
Luckily, he wasn't trying to bully anyone. He played very little and was very relaxed during games.
I hope Team Shannon Sharpe files a protest with the league. Nevertheless, at least they won the game 100-91.
It was Micah Parsons vs. Tristan Jas.
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons is a big, scary guy in real life. Stephen A. No one on the team was particularly interested in getting ahead of him, and I don't blame them.
Meanwhile, YouTuber Tristan Jas, who specializes in basketball videos, was playing like it was Game 7. He was taking shots and driving every time he moved around the court.
Parsons and Jas each scored about 30 points. Parsons ultimately won the game and was named MVP.
Perhaps it was the teams trying to match each other's energies that made it such a serious game?
influencer city
I'm not condoning this, but if you threw a rock in any direction at Lucas Oil, there's a pretty good chance it would hit a social media influencer or someone trying to be an influencer. It wasn't unusual to look up and see dozens of people in the crowd trying to take selfies.
No judgment. It was a fun night with the game action taking a backseat, so get some good lighting, young people.
Peyton Manning absent from Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis Colts great Peyton Manning was listed as an assistant coach on Sharpe's team, but he was nowhere to be found. The reason for his resignation was not disclosed to reporters. We were just told he wouldn't be there.
Did he really know the way there?
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Rory Appleton is IndyStar's pop culture reporter. Reach 317-552-9044 and rappleton@indystar.com or follow @RoryEHAppleton on Twitter.
