Celebrity All-Star Game: Will Kevin Hart walk away with a 3-peat MVP title? 

The Celebrity All-Star game is headlined by two-time MVP Kevin Hart, who stands tall at 5-foot-2. Hart has left several questioning how exactly he won those back-to-back titles by scoring a whopping 13 points combined between his last two appearances. If you ask him, he deserved those titles and more. In a recent interview the comedian did to promote his movie coming out during All-Star Weekend, About Last Night, he said the NBA All-Star Weekend might as well be renamed Kevin Hart Weekend. Many would agree as his comedic performance on the court has earned him bragging rights as two-time MVP, despite his subpar athletic performance. 

Two-time MVP Kevin Hart says if he wins his third title he will be content and retire. (@KevinHart4Real/Instagram)

Hart will represent the West in their quest for his third straight MVP title coached by Bill Simmons. He says he's retiring once he receives his third MVP, but rest assured that if Hart had not chosen a career in comedy, the NBA would have had it’s shortest player ever. Thankfully, he discovered his gift of gab first. This weekend, fans will be rolling watching Hart alongside WNBA star Skylar Diggins and Fruitvale Station star Michael B. Jordan. On the opposite side of the court, the East will be represented by a true athlete in Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, who proved himself last year in the Celebrity Game by tallying 11 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest: New Year, New Format

The Slam Dunk Contest this year will have a new format, shifting to a more pronounced Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference. Traditionally, this contest has been an individual competition, which logically makes sense since the premise is to figure out the best dunker in the League. 

However, contest coordinators thought the contest needed a facelift. It will now feature a “freestyle” round where each team will get 90 seconds to perform as many dunks as they can fit into that time frame. Judges will then vote on the winning team (East or West) leading to the second round, the “battle” round. In the “battle” round players will compete one-on-one, East dunker vs. West dunker, where the losing dunker is eliminated. The first conference to three wins in a row is named the winner and the conference representatives are deemed “Slam Dunk Contest Champions.” Only one participant will be voted “Dunker of the Night” by fans. This is in part an innovative way to engage fans using social media as fans will vote via Twitter, NBA.com and text.

Indiana Pacers star Paul George, who is no stranger to the contest, will be joined by last year’s winner Terrence Ross (Raptors) and first-time participant John Wall (Wizards) representing the Eastern Conference. As for the West, it will be Damian Lillard (Blazers), who is participating in all five events alongside Harrison Barnes (Warriors) and rookie Ben McLemore (Kings). 

Damian Lillard is in five events this weekend. (@Dame_Lillard/Twitter)

All-Star Game Lineup: Passing the Torch 

Of course, the All-Star Game is headlined by NBA veterans in LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony. Fans cannot count out the emergence of new talent that has become abundant over the first half of this NBA season. With Anthony Davis (Pelicans) named Kobe Bryant’s replacement, could this be the debut of the next generation? The prospects of Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Lillard and Wall show great promise for the future of the NBA, which will be on display all weekend for fans to enjoy. 

READ MORE: NBA All-Star Game 2014: The Biggest Snubs

Damian Lillard Continues to Make Headlines 

The 23-year-old Lillard will undoubtedly be the busiest this weekend. Five seems to be the magic number for the Portland Trail Blazers’ point guard this season. Lillard is set to make history this weekend by participating in all five All-Star Weekend events: The BBVA Rising Stars Challenge (Friday), all of Saturday’s activities from the Taco Bell Skills Challenge to the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest and even the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, along with the All-Star Game (Sunday).

Lillard has been making some noise this season by leading the Blazers to be regarded as a true competitor in the Western Conference thus far. The team is 5th in the West heading into the break, and Lillard is avergaging nearly 21 points per game. Much of the buzz is coming from the creation of #4BarFriday, a social media craze that he created by rapping four lines on Instagram, which has generated buzz with participation from fellow NBA players like Lebron (@KingJames) to Paul George (@Paul_George24). Fans will see if Lillard’s stamina matches the ambitious undertaking he signed up for this weekend. 

Reach Sports Producer Lauren Jones here or follow her at @LJonesSports.