Kane Brown Returns To NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
This is Kane Brown’s third time participating in the event.
Kane Brown; Photo Provided
Kane Brown is set to play in the 2023 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday (Feb. 17).
The country superstar will appear alongside several TV and film stars, professional athletes, and fellow musicians in the game, which will feature Ryan Smith and Dwayne Wade as team captains, as well as head coaches Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alex Bregman.
This marks Kane Brown’s third time participating in the NBA All-Star Game and comes just one year after the multi-platinum artist became the first artist ever to play all 29 NBA arenas in a single tour.
Team Dwyane VS Team Ryan
Brown will represent Team Ryan alongside Smith (Utah Jazz governor), Cordae (rapper/recording artist), Diamond DeShields (WNBA All-Star, Phoenix Mercury), Calvin Johnson (former NFL player), Marcos Mion (TV host), The Miz (WWE Superstar), Albert Pujols (MLB player), Everett Osborne (actor), Ozuna (rapper/recording artist), Guillermo Rodriguez (ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live correspondent), and Sinqua Walls (actor).
Team Ryan will face-off against Team Dwayne, which includes Wade (NBA champion, Utah Jazz Minority owner and honorary captain), Nicky Jam (Latin global music icon and actor), Jesser (content creator), Simu Liu (actor), Hasan Minhaj (comedian), DK Metcalf (NFL player), Janelle Monáe (actress, singer, songwriter), Arike Ogunbowale (WNBA All-Star, Dallas Wings), 21 Savage (rapper, recording artist), Ranveer Singh (actor and NBA brand ambassador for India), Frances Tiafoe (tennis player), and Alex Toussaint (Peloton coach and Puma Athlete).
Adding to the hype over the big game, the Ruffles 4-point Ridge Line, a 4-point line resembling the ridges in Ruffles potato chips, is back to support a good cause. For every shot made from behind the line, Ruffles will donate $4,000 to support 5 for the Fight, a philanthropic organization and official partner of the Utah Jazz and owner Ryan Smith that crowdfunds cancer research.
And, for the first time ever, Ruffles and the NBA are introducing Ruffles Crunch Time – a unique in-game boost that each team captain can activate once per half – causing every shot made to be worth double the points and every 4-point Ridge Line shot to convert to double the charitable contribution.
Academy award winner Ben Affleck will introduce the players and coaches live during the game.
The 2023 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game is taking place at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game will air exclusively on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET.
Brown’s appearance at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game comes just one week after he returned to the top of the country radio charts with “Thank God,” his duet with his wife, Katelyn Brown.
Drunk Or Dreaming Tour
Soon, the country hitmaker will return to the road when his Drunk or Dreaming Tour continues in the United States.
The U.S. trek, which features special guests Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett and LOCASH on select dates, will kick off in Grand Rapids, MI on March 16, 2023, and will visit 23 cities throughout the United States before wrapping up in Greenwood Village, CO at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
While embarking on the massive headlining trek throughout the United States, Brown will headline Bridgestone Arena in Nashville for the first time ever on March 31.
The Drunk or Dreaming tour comes in support of Kane Brown’s latest album, Different Man.
The project features his latest chart-topping singles “One Mississippi” and “Like I Love Country Music,” and “Thank God,” as well as his duet with Blake Shelton.
Different Man follows Brown’s second studio album, 2018’s Experiment. In August of 2020, Brown released his ACM-nominated EP, Mixtape Vol. 1, which included several hit singles such as “Cool Again,” “Worldwide Beautiful” “Worship You” and his Top 40 radio single, “Be Like That” featuring Khalid and Swae Lee.
Festival Season
Additionally, Brown will also perform at several upcoming festivals, including Stagecoach (Apr. 29), New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (May 4-7), iHeartCountry Music Festival (May 13), Gulf Coast Jam (Jun. 4), The Country Fest (Jun. 15), Tailgate N’ Tallboys Bloomington (Jun. 16), and many more.
For a full list of Kane Brown’s upcoming tour dates and additional information, visit his official website.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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