The ghosts still live in the rafters ofthe Forum.
You can feel them the moment you walk through those circular corridors in Inglewood — the echoes of Magic’s no-look passes, Kareem’s skyhook carving air like a sculptor’s blade, the bass line of the Showtime Lakers pulsing through a building that once felt like the center of the basketball universe.
With most of NBA All-Star Weekend migrating down the street to the glistening new Intuit Dome, it felt right — almost rebellious — that theRuffles Celebrity All-Star Gameplanted its flag back inside the old cathedral: the Fabulous Forum.
Before a single ball was tipped, the afternoon delivered its most authentic moment. Former NBA forward Richard Jefferson strolled his kids through the legendary Forum Club entrance, where Lakers icon James Worthy greeted them like a velvet-rope guardian of basketball history. Worthy playfully demanded a password before letting them in, smiling as he reminisced about the good old days. It was nostalgia with a wink — a reminder that this building once demanded excellence.
And excellence quietly slipped out the side door.
Let’s call it what it was: a glorified YMCA pick-up game with better lighting and worse defense. I’ve had runs at 24-hour fitness with more urgency and effort. The Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game has always been an exhibition, but this version often felt like an influencer’s content shoot masquerading as competition.
There were more air balls than baskets made. Strange gimmicky bonuses floated through each quarter like carnival prizes. NBA Mascots playing defense? Eight-point shots? Sure. Why not. When Chinese actor-singer Dylan Wang received theloudest ovation of all during the roster introductions— you understood immediately what Friday afternoon was really about: spectacle over substance.
There were moments worth the price of admission. WatchingVictor Wembanyamaconductthe opening tipwhile looking up —actually looking up— at 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall was a visual glitch in the basketball matrix. Since when does Wemby crane his neck for anyone? Fall, predictably, dominated stretches of the game, turning the paint into his personal backyard court. It would be the equivalent of a normal person lowering the hoop down to 6 feet and playing against kindergartners.
Rome Flynn goes off the backboard to Tacko Fall for the alley-oop slam!🤩@RUFFLESCeleb Game on ESPNpic.twitter.com/4pJMrxm6zI
The surprise performance of the afternoon came from formerChargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, who flashed real athleticism, slicing through the lane with purpose. Finishing at the rim, draining jump shots andblocking shots. Allen seemed to be the only player on the court who upped the competitive level of play.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
