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NBA Fans Had Plenty of Thoughts on Kevin Hart Announcing NBA All Star Game
The NBA threw several new wrinkles into this year's All-Star weekend, including a four-team tournament model and the "Mr. Beast Challenge" that saw a fan win $100,000.
A fan just won $100k at the buzzer!! pic.twitter.com/VNyp7C8ByF
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 17, 2025
One addition that folks didn't see coming? The inclusion of actor and comedian Kevin Hart as an announcer.
The 45-year-old joined Ernie Johnson and the rest of the TNT crew for the call of the two semifinal games and—to put it lightly—fans weren't thrilled with his attempt to liven the mood. Here are some of the best reactions across X (formerly Twitter):
Back in the day the joke was Bob Hope would attend the opening of a gas station and it appears Kevin Hart is the heir apparent
— mattycanuck (@mattycanuck430) February 17, 2025
need kevin hart off my screen
— ygn 🗽 (@YanksGotNext) February 17, 2025
needed Shaq to do this to Kevin Hart pic.twitter.com/QOY1UtkpIV
— lex (@maplewedgie) February 17, 2025
I understand the NBA is trying new things for the All Star game but this Kevin Hart thing is cringy and awful
— Bernie B (@jbernie29) February 17, 2025
Enough Kevin Hart. This is idiotic. @NBA You can’t try to ask the players to take this All Star Game seriously and then make it an And1 game with Kevin Hart’s over-exposed ass on the mic. Be better.
— Fausto Galvan (@FaustoGaIvan) February 17, 2025
They told Kevin Hart to do whatever to get people interested in the game and now he doing too much
— The House that Kami Built (@KamitronPTW) February 17, 2025
Take the mic away from Kevin hart. https://t.co/50vwtMYqFb
— GameTime (@dino259) February 17, 2025
This Kevin Hart thing is a huge miss.
— Scott 〽️cAfee (@Scottimac11) February 17, 2025
Kevin Hart is not funny when he tries too hard. He's a natural comedian and it's just not coming to him right now
— The House that Kami Built (@KamitronPTW) February 17, 2025
Kevin Hart annoying asf
— IKE LUV (@Mitchell_CeeJay) February 17, 2025
need kevin hart off my screen
— ygn 🗽 (@YanksGotNext) February 17, 2025
Kevin Hart is not it for the commentary.
— Kadeem Fletcher (@KadeemPrime) February 17, 2025
The NBA thinks adding Kevin Hart cures everything
— Grave Digger⚰ (@22shelton_) February 17, 2025
@NBA please keep Kevin Hart off the mic
— The Dreamer (@AyMrWilson) February 17, 2025
I think most NBA fans wish Kevin Hart would just shut up.
— Paul Swann (@PaulSwann) February 17, 2025
Unfortunately for fans, they gave Hart the mic back for Game 2 between Shaq's OG's and Candace's Rising Stars.
More on the 2025 NBA All-Star Game
Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.