On Saturday night, the Arkansas Razorbacks took on the Auburn Tigers. John Calipari’s team picked up an 88-75 win to advance to 19-6 on the season.
Calipari wanted to head to Los Angeles for this year’s NBA All-Star Game, but the head coach’s late game on Saturday prevented him from doing so. Instead, he took to social media to send a special message to players that his current and former program is connected to.
John Calipari Shows Support for NBA All-Stars
“Normally I would travel to the NBA All-Star weekend, but with our late game last night and a road game coming up, I am not going to make it to Los Angeles today,” Calipari wrote on X. “It’s a great weekend to celebrate the successes of our young men and the families who have trusted us with their sons.
“I was looking forward to seeing Reed Sheppard who was selected to the Rising Stars game and Arkansas’ own Bobby Portis, who was in the three-point contest.”
Sheppard, the Houston Rockets’ 2024 first-round pick, logged 12 points on 4-6 shooting from the field on Friday night in the 2026 Rising Stars Game. As for the Milwaukee Bucks veteran Bobby Portis, he came up short in the 3-Point Contest, as the Portland Trail Blazers star, Damian Lillard, took it home for a third time.
“The six All-Stars who I coached: Devin Booker, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Karl-Anthony Towns, De’Aaron Fox and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won’t be able to play,” Calipari continued.
“Congratulations to you all on the great first half of your season and I hope you and your families have enjoyed every second of your special weekend! Thank you for all that you have done for my programs and for all that you do to grow our game!”
The Calipari impact on Sunday’s game is strong. Devin Booker, a 2015 first-round pick, earned his fifth All-Star honor this year. Tyrese Maxey was a 2020 first-round pick, and is playing in his second All-Star game. Jamal Murray has been in the game since 2016 and will participate in his first All-Star game on Sunday.
Karl-Anthony Towns is playing in No. 6, while De’Aaron Fox is in No. 2 (first time with the San Antonio Spurs). Lastly, there’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the OKC Thunder, who won’t participate. The MVP is currently dealing with an abdominal strain. The 27-year-old will sit out his fourth All-Star outing.
The 2026 NBA All-Star tournament begins at 5 PM ET.
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