KAT, Donovan Mitchell bring Latino flavor to NBA All-Star Weekend
-
Lorenzo Delgado, Contributor
- February 14, 2025
Jaime Jaquez Jr. set for Rising Stars
Karl-Anthony Towns and Donovan Mitchell are among five Latinos headlining the NBA All-Star Weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area. There will be at least one Latino participating in the Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game, Castrol Rising Stars, Kia Skills Challenge, and a new format to the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.
The 74th NBA All-Star Game will feature a mini-tournament with four teams and three games. The 24 NBA All-Star selections were divided into three teams drafted by TNT’s iconic Inside The NBA commentators Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.
The team that wins the Rising Stars championship game will become the fourth team in the All-Star Game. It will be coached by three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker. The first team to reach or go over 40 points wins the game.
Donovan Mitchell embraces Panamanian roots
Two of the top players in the Eastern Conference will headline for Team Chuck. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns were named starters for Chuck’s Global Stars earlier this week.
Mitchell’s mother is of Panamanian descent. He has led an exciting, young Cavaliers team to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 44-10 record. Spida is averaging 23.9 points, 4.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds.
He has a career-high .391 percentage on 3-point field goals over 51 games.
The Panamanian American was selected to his sixth All-Star Game. Mitchell is averaging more than 20 points per game for the eighth straight season, and has stayed consistent throughout his entire NBA career.
Towns spent the first nine years of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Dominican American averaged 22.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and shot a .524 field goal percentage during his time in the Twin Cities.
More from Our Esquina
UCLA’s Jaime Jáquez Jr. Follows Family’s Legacy of Success
Karl-Anthony Towns proudly embraces Latino roots
Auburn star Chad Baker-Mazara has ‘It’
The 2015 first overall pick was traded to the Knicks as part of a three-team trade on Oct. 2. Nevertheless, Towns is still traumatizing the opponent’s defense.
In 49 games, KAT is averaging 24.7 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and is currently shooting a career high .438 percentage behind the arc.
KAT on record pace
Moreover, Towns is on pace to become the second player in NBA history to average 13 or more rebounds per game (RPG) and shoot 40 percent or more behind the three point line for a full season.
The first player to accomplish that achievement was former Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love in 2010.
Towns, 29, was awarded the Kia Eastern Conference Player of The Month after leading the Knicks to a 12-2 record in December. The Big Bodega is the fifth Knicks player to record at least 40 points in consecutive games. He joined Hall of Famers Bernard King and Patrick Ewing, 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony and guard Jalen Brunson.
The 2015 Rookie of the Year was named to his fifth All-Star Game. Towns leads the NBA with five games of at least 40 plus points and at least 10 rebounds this season.
Second-year small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. was picked for the Rising Stars Game for a second consecutive year. Jaquez Jr. is averaging 9.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 45 games.
The 18th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has improved on grabbing the boards. The Heat’s small forward averaged 3.8 rebounds last season and has almost increased that number by one.
JJJ signature logo debuts
Jaquez Jr. always brings the Latino heat with his latest fashion trends. The Mexican American unveiled his latest signature logo with the Jordan brand last month. The logo features a triangle shape logo that has the letters “JJJ” on the back of the shoe. Moreover, the Air Jordan 39 has a unique green, red, and white colorway to pay homage to his Mexican roots.
Jaimito joins the Magic’s Jett Howard, Pistons’ Marcus Sasser and Rockets’ Cam Whitmore as members from the 2023 rookie class to sign with the Jordan Brand.
“The emotion that came to mind when I found out I was going to be a Jordan Brand athlete was pure excitement,” Jaquez Jr. told the Boardroom in an interview in 2023. “It’s a dream come true. I’ve been playing in Jordan Brand shoes my whole life, but to be officially signed is another level of exclusivity.”
Donovan Mitchell and Cavaliers center Evan Mobley will team up Saturday night in the KIA Skills Challenge. Team Cavs will face Team Rooks (Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher and Wizards’ Alex Sarr), Team Spurs (Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama), and Team Warriors (Draymond Green and Moses Moody).
In the Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game, WWE Grand Slam champion Bayley will make her presence known on the court. The next day, the Mexican American superstar will wrestle in a Fatal 4-Way Match at WWE’s Vengeance Day. Danny Ramirez, who played in Top Gun: Maverick as Lt. Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia, is also participating.
Lorenzo Delgado
Contributor
Lorenzo Delgado graduated with his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and is currently attending the University of Houston to earn his master’s degree. Lorenzo was formerly a contributing baseball writer for Call to the Pen on the Fansided Network. He is the host of an Astros baseball podcast called Full Seam Ahead, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and wherever podcasts are found.
Stay in the Loop
Get the Our Esquina Email Newsletter
By submitting your email, you are agreeing to receive additional communications and exclusive content from Our Esquina. You can unsubscribe at any time.