The wait’s almost over, folks. While the NBA Finals are heating up, another fan-favorite event is about to steal some of that spotlight. Yep, the Celebrity Basketball Game is finally here! If history’s any clue, this matchup won’t disappoint. It’s always been one of those chaotic, feel-good showdowns that fans from all over tune in for. And with Matt Barnes running the show from the sidelines, you can bet this group of full-time celebs and part-time hoopers is about to put on a show.

Alright, hoop fans, mark your calendars because the Celebrity Basketball Game is about to light up Los Angeles! It’s all happening on Saturday, June 7 at the LA Convention Center. Bow Wow’s hosting, MC Lyte’s grabbing the mic as the announcer, and Lola Brooke’s got the crowd covered as the audience correspondent. The lineup? Absolute fire. Cordae, G-Herbo, Pardison Fontaine, Mario, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. And let’s talk about those sidelines for a sec. You’ve got Offset, Matt Barnes, Ty Young, and Flau’jae calling the shots for their squads. Oh, and word is there’ll be surprise celebs dropping in throughout the day too.

BET Media Group just dropped a fire announcement on Instagram, and fans are already hyped for it. They officially revealed the lineup for the upcoming BETX Celebrity Basketball Game. In their post, they wrote, “🏀 The court. The culture. The CRAZIEST celeb lineup. The #BETX Celebrity Basketball Game is back and STACKED! Hosted by @ShadMoss, coached by @Offsetyrn, @Matt_Barnes9, @TyYoung11, and @Flaujae? Oh yeah, it’s serious…”

And if you thought that was it, hang on. They kept the energy going. The 1.5 billion dollar company added, “Get ready to see your faves like @MarioWorldWide, @Rapsody, @NoLimitHerbo, @JabariBanks, @KCamp, @pardi, @bossman_dlow, and more go head-to-head in a high-energy matchup where the game meets the game-changers.” But here’s the real one to circle on your calendar, Matt Barnes vs. Flau’jae Johnson. Now that’s a sideline showdown you won’t want to miss.

Matt Barnes, after a 14-year stint in the league, has a little experience himself, coaching the AAU in summers. But that’s the only thing keeping him in the game. The 2017 champion may be long-removed from the league, but he has kept up as an analyst. Further, with his sons taking on the sport as well, he has been a regular at high school games, coaching them from sidelines.

For Johnson, she may be visiting the music charts right now, but you cannot underestimate the LSU Tigress. If you ask her teammates at Baton Rouge, they’d tell you she’s a players’ coach. “She’s showing what she sees on the court, like what we wouldn’t see on the court when we’re playing… Just keeping everybody up spirits and keeping everybody great. She’s been a great leader,” Mikaylah Williams attested just this past season.

In celebrating Black culture, sports, music, and digital innovation, the BET Experience saw a sold-out crowd last year. Johnson was a part of that run, too, as Wallo and Gillie Da King held the coaching reins. But she is shifting sides this year and Barnes and the rest better watch out. The former Warriors star would be aware of that. He closely followed the NCAA last season, chiming in with opinions on NIL, and if his recent reaction is any indication, he is keeping up with the women’s sports.

Matt Barnes lets silence speak louder after Angel Reese’s record-breaking performance

Back in 2024, Angel Reese claimed, “I know I’ll go down in history.” What she probably didn’t expect was history banging on her door this fast. On May 17, 2025, Reese made it happen. She became the fastest player in WNBA history to rack up 450 points and 450 rebounds, and did it in just her 35th game. And yep, Matt Barnes noticed.

While social media exploded with posts and praise, Barnes kept it cool. The former NBA champ reshared a Playmaker post showing Reese standing tall in her Sky jersey beside the record-breaking milestone. No lengthy caption, no extra words. Just a salute emoji. He followed it up by jumping in the comments of the original post too, dropping a pair of 🔥🔥 emojis. It wasn’t loud, but it spoke louder than words ever could.

You see, sometimes, history doesn’t just knock, it bangs on the door. And when it does, real ones like Matt Barnes recognize it.