NBA All-Star Weekend kicked off with a Thunder player coming out on top.
Although he wasn’t invited to participate in the traditional three-point competition that’s taking place tonight on NBA All-Star Saturday Night, OKC Thunder guard Jared McCain still found a way to put his stamp on the weekend, winning the Celebrity three-point contest on Friday night. The only active NBA player in the event, he was the clear favorite going in, and given how great a shooter he is, it’s no surprise he came out on top. McCain delivered when it mattered most, finishing with the highest score in the finals and taking home the win in an event that felt a little more competitive than the typical celebrity showcase.
And the field had real name power. McCain went up against a group that included streamer PlaqueBoyMax, comedian Druski, and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, which is exactly the kind of mix that helps an event like this pop on social media and pull in casual fans who might not be locked into the NBA season night to night. In the final round, McCain beat PlaqueBoyMax to secure the win, and if nothing else, it was an entertaining event that got tremendous attention because of the caliber of popular names involved.
Even with it being a lighter, more fun format, you could still tell McCain took it seriously and embraced the moment, which made the whole thing more engaging.
From an Oklahoma City perspective, it’s also a nice storyline in a weekend where the Thunder will have limited participation in Los Angeles. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell both missed their respective competitions due to injury, which takes some of the usual buzz out of the weekend for Thunder fans.
That leaves Chet Holmgren as the main representative still set to participate in the All-Star game on Sunday night, and then McCain having already delivered a win in Friday’s celebrity event. So even if it’s not one of the marquee trophies, the Thunder are one for one when it comes to taking home All-Star Weekend awards, and McCain gave OKC something to celebrate early in the festivities.