Road to NBA All-Star: How rapper AP Dhillon made waves at the midseason event as the only Indian representative?

Indo-Canadian rapper AP Dhillonhas recently made headlines as he debuted at the NBA Celebrity All-Star game.
The NBA’s All-Star Weekend is always a spectacle, filled with thrilling matchups, star-studded lineups, and unforgettable moments. This year, the event saw a Punjabi music icon take center stage as Dhillon became the only Indian representative at the All-Star Celebrity Game. The British Columbia-based artist, known for hits like Brown Munde, took to the hardwood as part of Team Rice, coached by NFL legend Jerry Rice.

AP Dhillon’s inclusion in the All-Star Celebrity Game shows that the NBA is quite serious about expanding its international reach. Dhillon has been a pioneer of the Punjabi Wave in music and his presence on the court wasn’t just about basketball rather it was about the representation of culture.
And he wasn’t just there for show. Dhillon put up 8 points in just 13 minutes, proving he could hold his own among a lineup filled with entertainers, athletes, and former NBA stars.

The Celebrity Game featured a mix of high-profile names, from Billboard chart-topping artists like Shaboozey and Noah Kahan to sports legends like Terrell Owens and Baron Davis. Other notable participants included Druski, Kai Cenat, WWE star Bayley, WNBA players Allisha Gray and Kayla Thornton, and former Warriors player Matt Barnes. Meanwhile, the opposing team was coached by baseball icon Barry Bonds and rapper 2 Chainz, making for an impressive matchup.

Dhillon made headlines for his performance on the court but it was not all he had to offer. He also had a viral moment that sparked intense discussion among fans. During an in-game interview with ESPN’s Mark Jones and Richard Jefferson in the second quarter, the rapper was explaining how he wanted to prove his basketball skills when he accidentally dropped an F-bomb live on air.
"They were like, does this guy even know how to dribble? Is he gonna double dribble? So I'm here to show like, 'Yeah we F--- oh my bad,'" he said.
The slip-up was certainly unexpected but it went viral on social media and fans were quick to react to his candid response.
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As for his personal background, Dhillon was born in 1993 in Gurdaspur, Punjab, India. As he made his name in the music industry, Dhillon became an international star. The 32-year-old has over 4.1 million followers on Instagram. In 2023, Dhillon made history as the first Punjabi-language artist to perform at the Juno Awards in Edmonton, Canada, with his hit song Summer High. In addition to his music, Dhillon also made his appearance in a web series based on himself titled AP Dhillon: First of a Kind.