Business
Team Giannis Edges Team Anthony in Thrilling LA Showdown
The 2026 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game delivered a slam-dunk spectacle Friday night at the Kia Forum, with Team Giannis Antetokounmpo rallying for a 65-58 victory over Team Anthony Anderson in a high-energy affair packed with viral moments, athletic feats and star power.
NBAE / Getty Images / Garrett Ellwood
Former NBA center Tacko Fall stole the show, posting a historic 20 points and 20 rebounds en route to MVP honors, while Jason “White Chocolate” Williams dazzled with vintage handles and GloRilla brought infectious energy. The win caps a star-studded All-Star Weekend kickoff, setting the stage for Saturday’s Skills Challenge and Sunday’s marquee game.
Epic comeback: Team Giannis overcomes halftime deficit
Trailing by 10 at halftime (42-32), Team Giannis flipped the script in the second half behind Fall’s paint dominance and Rome Flynn’s sharpshooting. A 20-5 third-quarter run tied it at 55, and clutch plays sealed the seven-point triumph.
Quarter scores:
| Quarter | Team Giannis | Team Anthony |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 14 | 16 |
| 2nd | 18 | 26 |
| 3rd | 19 | 7 |
| 4th | 14 | 9 |
| Final | 65 | 58 |
Special rules — including 4-point shots and halftime K-pop act — amped excitement at the Kia Forum.
Tacko Fall’s 20-20 monster game cements MVP legacy
At 7-foot-6, Fall owned the glass with 20 rebounds, 20 points, 4 blocks and thunderous dunks, including a reverse alley-oop from Rome Flynn. “Tacko Time” chants echoed as he swatted shots and posterized defenders, earning unanimous MVP nods.
Fall: “This crowd energy is unreal. Playing with these stars — dream come true.” His stat line echoes Wilt Chamberlain lore, fitting All-Star flair.
Standout performers light up Kia Forum
Team Giannis (65):
- Tacko Fall: 20 pts, 20 reb, 4 blk (MVP)
- Rome Flynn: 22 pts (multiple 3s)
- Shams Charania: 8 pts (deep 8-footer attempt viral)
- Jeremy Lin: Veteran savvy, alley-oops
- Keegan-Michael Key: Hustle, laughs
Team Anthony (58):
- Keenan Allen: Defensive stops, 12 pts
- GloRilla: High-energy, rebounds
- Jason Williams: Flashy handles, assists
- Simu Liu: Athletic dunks
- Mustard: Production flair
Coaches Giannis Antetokounmpo/Thanasis and Anthony Anderson/Mookie Betts added sideline antics.
Viral moments steal the show
- Fall’s reverse alley-oop: Flynn-to-Fall poster electrified crowd.
- Shams’ deep bomb: ESPN insider’s 8-footer attempt meme gold.
- Williams’ no-look passes: White Chocolate vintage delights.
- GloRilla hustle: Rapper’s rebounds, energy ignite fans.
- Halftime K-pop: First-ever act hyped intermission.
7 p.m. ET tipoff streamed on ESPN, Disney+ (Philippines).
Rosters packed with NBA stars, celebs, influencers
Team Giannis:
- Keegan-Michael Key (actor)
- Rome Flynn (actor/model)
- Dylan Wang (actor/singer)
- Shams Charania (ESPN)
- Jenna Bandy (creator)
- Rick Schnall (businessman)
- Tacko Fall (CBA/NBA alum)
- Jeremy Lin (NBA alum)
Team Anthony:
- Simu Liu (actor)
- Cody Jones (creator)
- Badshah (rapper)
- Andre de Grasse (sprinter)
- Taylor Frankie Paul (TV star)
- Mat Ishbia (Suns owner)
- Jason Williams (NBA alum)
- Nicolas Vansteenberghe (TV star)
- Mustard (producer)
- Adrien Nunez (influencer)
- Keenan Allen (Chargers WR)
Coaches: Giannis/Thanasis Antetokounmpo vs. Anthony Anderson/Mookie Betts.
All-Star Weekend schedule heats up
Saturday, Feb. 14:
- 4 p.m. ET: Adam Silver presser
- Skills, 3-Point, Dunk contests
Sunday, Feb. 15:
- Rising Stars, All-Star Game at Intuit Dome
Celebrity game sets festive tone for LA weekend.
Fan reactions: Tacko MVP, viral dunks dominate
Social exploded: #CelebrityGameMVP trended with 500K+ mentions; Fall’s dunks garnered 10M views. “Tacko owns LA!” trended; Williams’ handles nostalgic hit.
Game’s competitive edge — Fall’s blocks, Flynn’s 3s — elevated beyond exhibitions.
Legacy: Tacko cements icon status
Fall’s double-double joins Chamberlain rarities in celeb lore; Lin/Williams add gravitas. Game’s new format, halftime K-pop innovates tradition.
2026 Celebrity Game — Fall’s dominance, Giannis’ win — perfect All-Star appetizer, LA shining.
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Americans who live alone are paying a five-figure “singles tax” amid rising rents around the nation, a new analysis finds.
Data from Zillow shows that the typical apartment rent is currently $1,745 and has risen 30% over the last five years, which represents a significant burden for renters who live alone and don’t have one or more roommates to split the bill with.
The premium paid by solo renters was dubbed the “singles tax” by Zillow, which found that the national average singles tax amounts to $10,470 per year.
“When you’re living alone, you’re covering the full rent on one income and that can add up fast,” said Emily Smith, Zillow rental trends expert. “Apartments often make living solo more attainable, while also offering shared spaces that help people feel connected.”
HOUSING MARKET COOLS AS PRICE GROWTH HITS SLOWEST PACE SINCE GREAT RECESSION RECOVERY
New York City had the largest “singles tax” in Zillow’s data, which amounted to $23,400 per year. (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images / Getty Images)
New York City tops the list of areas with the highest singles tax, as the Big Apple’s typical apartment rent of $3,900 a month amounts to a singles tax of $23,400 for the year.
San Jose ranked second, with a typical rent of $3,248 a month and a singles tax of $19,488 per year. Boston was close behind in third, with the typical rent in the city amounting to $3,014 a month and resulting in a singles tax of $18,084.
A pair of California cities rounded out the top five, with San Francisco in fourth based on a typical rent of $2,857 and a singles tax of $17,142, while Los Angeles ranked fifth with a typical monthly rent of $2,648 and a singles tax of $15,888.
HOMEBUYERS GAIN UPPER HAND IN 3 MAJOR CITIES AS INVENTORIES GROW
San Francisco ranked fourth on Zillow’s list with a “singles tax” of $17,142 per year. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Renters who pair up their living arrangement with a partner derive what Zillow called a “couples’ discount” from being able to split up the rental bill as well as utilities and other costs.
“For renters who choose to live with a partner or roommate, splitting everyday costs like rent, utilities and groceries can go a long way in easing the pressure of today’s higher cost of living,” Smith said.
Based on the firm’s national data, the couples’ discount amounts to a combined $20,940 in annual rental savings from splitting the bill.
RICH CALIFORNIANS FLOCK TO LAS VEGAS HOUSING MARKET AS LAWMAKERS CONSIDER WEALTH TAX
Los Angeles ranked fifth on Zillow’s list of cities with the largest “singles tax.” (iStock / iStock)
For example, given the sizable singles tax in the cities with the highest rent, couples in New York City can get a discount of $46,800 instead of the singles tax of $23,400.
The report noted the couples discount can go a long way toward helping renters save for a down payment on a home, with the national average couples discount of $20,940 being more than halfway to a 10% down payment on a typical U.S. home, per Zillow’s data.
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![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-80x80.jpg)
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