The 2025 NBA All-Star weekend has arrived and as the top players from across the league get ready to take the court at Chase Center in San Francisco, fans are getting a unique new way to experience their favorite athletes, commentators and more.
As the Official Card of the NBA, Amex has ramped up a lineup of exclusive interactive experiences for card members and basketball fans in the Bay Area to enjoy all weekend long.
The NBA All-Star 2025 festivities kicked off on Thursday night with a special performance by Chance the Rapper at Pier 48, where card members had early access to complimentary tickets.
And from Friday through Sunday, customers can check out an immersive three-floor activation, complete with a behind-the-scenes experience of the iconic "Inside the NBA" program to feel like they're on the other side of the TV.
Several NBA players and broadcasters -- including Donovan Mitchell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunnigham and Jalen Williams, as well as TNT's Ernie Johnson -- will all pop in for one-on-one chats and meet and greets throughout the weekend.
Plus, at the top floor Card Member Club, fans can design customize merchandise and listen in on fireside chats between the NBA players and broadcasters.
With more professional athletes opting for plant-forward diets, the National Basketball Players Association helped create a new digital cookbook, "Go Beyond The Buzzer" with recipes inspired by the pre- and post-game meals of basketball stars' like Damian Lillard, Cade Cunningham, Kyrie Irving, Jalen Brunson and more.
Ahead of the NBA All-Star Weekend slate of sports events, the NBPA announced a partnership with Beyond Meat to create this first-of-its-kind cookbook, which is available in hard copies on-site or free for download online.
And to prove you don't need a professional chef or team nutritionist to cook and eat healthier at home, check out the full recipes to fuel up just like your favorite basketball stars.
The Milwaukee Bucks star point guard who was born and raised in Oakland, has had a heartwarming return to his home turf for his ninth All-Star Game. Lillard has shared moments reconnecting with friends, family, and the community where his basketball journey began on social media ahead of the tournament and now, he's sharing one of his favorite plant-based meals with "GMA."
How about the age-34 season Damian Lillard is having?
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) February 12, 2025
25.8 PPG (#10 in the league)
standard 98th percentile oEPM
62.3% TS (3rd best of career)
52.7% 2P (2nd)
38.2% 3P (4th)
92.1% FT (2nd)
7.5 APG (3rd)
1.2 SPG (2nd)
– firmly on track for All-NBA #8 pic.twitter.com/rpH7TX8jRq
Serves: 6
Cook Time: 20 mins
Ingredients
1 lb Beyond Beef
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire or soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 vegan hamburger buns
Coleslaw:
5 cups coleslaw mix with red cabbage and carrots
1/2 cup Vegan Mayo
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook Beyond ground beef until browned, breaking into crumbles, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
2. Add diced onion and green bell pepper to the same skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they soften. Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Stir frequently. Return the cooked Beyond ground beef to the skillet and mix in the tomato paste. Stir well to combine.
3. Add ketchup, water, vegan Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, brown sugar, yellow mustard, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until it thickens to your desired consistency.
4. Serve on toasted buns with coleslaw.
Coleslaw:
Add the vegan mayo, granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, celery seed and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk together until fully combined.
Add in the coleslaw mix and stir well. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving, if possible. It's also fine served immediately. Enjoy!
Lillard also has a favorite plant-based pasta dish below that serves as great pre-game fuel. Check out the full recipe.
Serves: 3-4
Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Ingredients
2 Beyond Sausage Hot Italian links
4 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon plant-based butter
2 cup spinach, baby packed
1 cup tomatoes, can diced with juice
1/2 cup shallots, sliced
1 cup pasta water
1/4 cup white wine
15 plant-based cheese tortellini (storebought)
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Chili flake (optional)
Directions
1. Set a pot of salted water to boil.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium sized stainless saucepan.
3. Add 4 whole Hot Italian Sausages and cook on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes breaking up the sausages into chunks. (Sausage does not need to be fully cooked at this point).
4. Add 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil, sliced shallots, pinch of salt and sauté with sausages on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add white wine and turn up the heat to deglaze the pan for ~30 seconds. Turn off the heat.
6. Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions.
7. Bring the saucepan back to medium high heat.
8. Add in spinach, tomatoes, cooked pasta, half-cup pasta cooking water, 2 tablespoon cold butter and swirl in a pan to emulsify your butter into the liquid making a sauce.
9. Continue cooking your sauce until you have achieved your desired level of thickness.
10. Add in chili flakes and fresh oregano and salt to taste. Enjoy!
The New York Knicks star point and shooting guard is back for a second NBA All-Star appearance -- this time on Kenny Smith's "Young Stars" -- and one of his favorite ways to fuel up is this simple plant-based pasta.
Serves: 3
Cook Time: 20 mins
Ingredients
3 Beyond Sausage Hot Italian links
1 1/2 cups rigatoni or (gluten-free if preferred)
1 cup spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
650 ml jar tomato pasta sauce
Vegan parmesan, (optional for garnish)
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare the pasta according to package directions.
2. Slice the Beyond sausages diagonally into thick slices. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the sliced sausages and fry a couple of minutes on each side until browned. Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside.
3. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, spinach and sauté for about 4 minutes until the onions start to turn translucent. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and continue to cook for another minute until the onion begins to brown.
4. Add the tomato sauce and heat through.
5. Once the sauce is hot, add the pasta and sausage slices to the sauce and toss well to coat. Serve with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan if desired.
The Dallas Maverick's point guard and nine-time NBA All-Star, likes bold flavors in bowl form with this delicious dish for pre-game fuel.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Ingredients
4 cups Beyond Steak, frozen
2 cups cooked quinoa
8 mixed mini sweet bell peppers, stems removed and cut in half lengthwise
1 small red onion, cut into eighths
2 cups baby greens, washed
1 cup carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup Persian cucumber, diced
Olive oil, as needed
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
Lime wedges, for garnish
Chimichurri
1 cup loose Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup loose cilantro leaves
1/4 teaspoon agave
1/4 cup shallot, mince
1/4 cup vegan (or regular) sour cream
1/4 cup vegan (or regular) mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. To make the creamy chimichurri, add the parsley, cilantro, agave, shallot, sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, olive oil, and chili flakes to a blender. Pulse until smooth, season to taste, and set aside.
2. Lightly coat the peppers and onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay the vegetables flatly on a sheet tray and bake for 4-5 minutes in the same 400 F oven. Set aside.
3. Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Drizzle with olive oil and sear the steak until caramelized for about 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously. Set aside.
4. To assemble, divide all the ingredients into four portions. First, plate the greens in a serving bowl.
5. Proceed to top the greens with the quinoa, caramelized peppers and onions, shredded carrots, cucumber, and seared steak.
6. Drizzle the entire salad with the chimichurri sauce, garnish with lime, olive oil drizzle, and serve.
Although the Knicks star won't be playing in this year's All-Star Game with his teammates Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, Hart told ESPN after the team's overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks heading into the break, "I got no FOMO."
"I'm in Miami right now, I'm gonna hang out with the wife for a couple days, maybe have a boat day," he told Malika Andrews on NBA Today. "I'm gonna relax and get all the way away from basketball."
But when he is fueling up before a workout or game -- he is known to enjoy this plant-based burrito.
Serves: 1
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 8 mins
Ingredients
1 cup Beyond Steak, seared
1/4 cup green rice
2 tablespoon sweet potato puree
2 tablespoon plant based Jack cheese, shredded (optional)
2 tablespoon black beans, canned
1/4 cup green & red bell peppers, sliced thin & sauteed
1/4 cup yellow onion, sliced thin & sauteed
1 flour tortilla 12"
2 tablespoon Spicy Mayo
Green Rice:
2 cup brown rice, steamed
1/2 cup salsa verde (storebought)
Tabasco Mayo:
1 cup vegan mayo
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup tabasco
1 teaspoon paprika
Directions
For the sweet potato puree: Microwave washed sweet potato, peel skin and food process until smooth.
For the Tabasco mayo: Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix till evenly distributed. Keep aside cold.
For the burrito
1. Sauté steak tips on medium high heat pan with moderate oil for 4-5 mins until nicely caramelized. Set it aside.
2. Warm beans, peppers & onions over low heat in a pan.
3. Heat tortilla on medium heat griddle, warm both sides and melt cheese atop.
4. Remove and build your burrito in this order – Tabasco mayo, sweet potato puree, bell pepper onion and bean mixture, green rice, sauteed steak, salsa verde. Fold the sides in and roll tightly. Crisp up on plancha in light oil, wrap and serve.
The 2025 NBA All-Star Game is set for Feb. 16 and will be televised on TNT at 8 p.m. ET.
There will be a new format that features a tournament-style event consisting of four teams with eight players each.
The NBA announced a format change to its annual showcase after last season's traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format. This year, three teams will be composed of the 24 NBA All-Star selections, while the fourth squad will be the winners of the Rising Stars event held on Friday, Feb. 14.
The four teams will play two semifinal games on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET, and the winners will move on to the championship. Each winning side needs to score 40 or more points to advance.
The rosters for the three NBA All-Star teams -- Chuck's Global Stars, Shaq's OGs, Kenny's Young Stars -- are named after TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith, who will act as honorary GMs. The three NBA greats drafted their teams on Feb. 6.
Shaq's OGs: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving*, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, James Harden and Jaylen Brown.
Chuck's Global Stars: Nikola Jokic, Trae Young*, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Pascal Siakam, Alperen Sengun and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Kenny's Young Stars: Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Evan Mobley and Jalen Williams.
