This obviously isn’t how he envisioned it, but Micah Parsons will be playing in a football establishment in February.
The Dallas Cowboys defensive star will partake in the upcoming NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Feb. 16. His inclusion was revealed on a roster released by the Association on Wednesday.
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) leaves the field after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Parsons will play for a team repped by Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe and his teammates include IndyCar driver Conor Daly, WNBA All-Star Jewell Loyd, and Grammy Award nominees Walker Hayes, AJ McLean, and SiR.
View the initial full rosters below (with changes coming…):
Though he’s made a name for himself on the football field, Parsons is no stranger to the hardwood, previously serving as a varsity star at Harrisburg High School in Pennsylvania.
“He looks like a basketball player. He really does. It’s crazy because his ability to play is amazing,” Parsons’ high school teammate Chris Whitaker told Ryan Baillargeon of Penn Live in 2017. “Micah has made tremendous growth for us on the basketball court and hopefully he can keep it up. He’s dominant. He’s very, very dominant.”
Sharpe, now a commentator on ESPN’s “First Take,” will coach alongside rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. Parsons recently did battle against a Manning-led all-star squad at the Pro Bowl Games, earning the last laugh with a 64-59 victory for the NFC in the main flag football event on Sunday.
Lone Star State football fans will have plenty to watch in the celebrity game, as Parsons squares off against a team led by another ESPN commentator and frequent Cowboys critic Stephen A. Smith. The latter’s team is partly headlined by Houston Texans breakout star CJ Stroud as well as hardwood heroes Natasha Cloud and Metta World Peace. Smith’s assistant coaches include two-time WNBA champion/MVP A’ja Wilson and rapper Lil’ Wayne.
