By Kevin Williams, Sports Reporter

OAKLAND – The Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game was headlined by entertainers, musicians and former athletes. The most famous among them were content creators Kai Cenat and Druski, musician 2 Chainz, and Bay Area legends Jerry Rice and Barry Bonds serving as team coaches.

Team Bonds took home the victory, 66-55, pulling away in the second half in large part because of Ruffles Celebrity Game MVP Rome Flynn. The Emmy-winning actor (“How To Get Away With Murder” and “The Bold and The Beautiful”) won the MVP award with a game-high 22 points, including a top-of-the-key 4-point shot from 36 feet.

“Shoutout to my teammates, they were looking for me,” Flynn said. “Before the game, they said they wanted me to win MVP. I’m a selfless guy, I just wanted to win.”

However, the highlight of the game had to be Shelby McEwen, a silver medalist in the high jump for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics. He had a pair of dunks, one of them a wind-up that could have potentially ranked in Saturday’s dunk contest.

The Oakland Arena hosted an NBA event for the first time since 2019, when the Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in their last game in what was then called Oracle Arena. It also was the night the Raptors clinched their only NBA championship.

As All-Star Weekend continues, fans can look forward to Saturday’s events, including the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest, and Slam Dunk Contest. The next night, the league’s biggest stars take the floor for the All-Star Game.