Ben Affleck and son take in 2023 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

NBA fans are taking in the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City this weekend, and there was no shortage of celebrities in attendance for Friday’s Ruffles Celebrity Game, including Ben Affleck.

The game was played at the Huntsman Center on the campus of the University of Utah and saw Team Dwyane Wade hold on to beat Team Ryan Smith 81-78, and featured names like Grammy Award-winning artist 21 Savage, along with Janelle Monáe, Cordae and Simu Liu.

Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson was joined by DK Metcalf, who was named MVP, from the NFL, while recently retired MLB player Albert Pujols also participated.

Ben Affleck was seated courtside

Ben Affleck and son Samuel addressed the fans before the game, announcing the teams for the Ruffles 2023 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

Ben wore a white sweater with his sleeves rolled up for the occasion, while Samuel wore a black Air Jordan shirt with pink lettering and blue jeans as he energetically spoke into the microphone.

Once they wrapped up their duties at midcourt, the two took a seat courtside next to comedian Chris Tucker. Affleck and Tucker were seen chatting it up and laughing throughout the game.

Affleck and his upcoming movie ‘Air’

Affleck will once again connect with the world of basketball in his upcoming movie ‘Air’, which is set to hit theatres on April 5.

The 50-year-old will play Phil Knight, chairman and co-founder of Nike, alongside Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, in a movie about how the company and Michael Jordan came together to make the Air Jordan brand.

The film mark’s Affleck’s return to directing after his 2016 film ‘Live by Night’.

Speaking with NBA.com, Affleck let it be known that Jordan is never actually seen on screen, which was by choice.

“I thought the minute I turn the camera on somebody and ask the audience to believe that person was Michael Jordan, the whole movie falls part,” said Affleck.

“When somebody is that powerful, where just their silhouette is a globally recognized phenomenon, you lose people.”

The film also stars Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler and Julius Tennon as James Jordan.