Celebrity Charity All-Star Game Held At SMC

Santa Monica College (SMC) hosted the first annual TJ Kidd Classic Celebrity All-Star Game on Saturday, Aug. 20 featuring many celebrity and professional basketball players.

Deontay Wilder (L) and John Salley embrace each other at the first TJ Classic Celebrity All Star Game held at SMC. (Miguel Castillo | The Corsair)

Zay Wilson from the popular Netflix show The Ultimatum, Windmill Dunks in warm up lines. (Miguel Castillo | The Corsair)

TJ Kidd, son of NBA legend Tyson Kidd, is introduced into the game at Santa Monica College. (Miguel Castillo | The Corsair)

Social Media Influencer Chase Demoor Does the classic Michael Jordan Pose after throwing down a dunk. (Miguel Castillo | The Corsair)

Professional basketball player Myles Bridges throws down a dunk that would later propel him to be chosen as the game’s MVP.

American Football Legend Terrell Owens shares some wisdom to young celebrities who are fresh into their acting career. (Miguel Castillo | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) hosted the first annual TJ Kidd Classic Celebrity All-Star Game on Saturday, Aug. 20 at the college’s gym. The event was star-studded, featuring WBC World Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder, four-time NBA Champion John Salley, three-time NBA Champion Bryon Scott, professional football Legend Terrell Owens, NBA player, and SMC Alum David Nwaba, and countless more celebrities were seen sitting court-side.

The TJ Kidd Classic was an event started by NBA Legend Jason Kidd’s son, TJ Kidd. Kidd grew up attending many celebrity all-star games, and it was a dream of his to coordinate one himself, which would be for charity. After learning about his good friend and sports reporter Allie LaForce and her husband Joe Smith starting a foundation called HelpCureHD, which fights against Huntington's Disease through preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) grants, Kidd decided that HelpCureHD was to be the beneficiary of the TJ Kidd Classic.

The game was eye-catching, with Zay Wilson and Chase Demoor showing they are more than just reality TV stars by throwing down some impressive dunks. The crowd stood up in anticipation whenever the ball entered Professional Dunker Chris Staples hands, who captivated the crowd with his dunks.

Ultimately, it was professional basketball player Myles Bridges who shined the brightest. Whether it was dunking on Chase Demoor or raining down threes from behind the arc, Myles Bridges was in complete control of the game since the tip-off and was awarded the game's MVP. “It was so much fun, and I had so much fun. I loved the turnout and that we did it here in Los Angeles,”

TJ Kidd said after the game, “I love the venue, and I hope we can do it again and keep it here at SMC.”

Corrected Aug. 21 at 6:20 pm for incorrect attribution