NBA All-Star Game Will Feature A Musical About Basketball By The Roots

The Roots are going to perform a musical (you read that right) about basketball before the NBA All-Star Game this weekend in New Orleans.

While many know The Roots as the house band for The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, the Philadelphia-based hip-hop group has a notable, dynamic and unique background.

The latest addition to their collection is an actual musical that will be performed at the NBA All-Star Game. Here’s what we know so far (via Billboard):

"“The Roots have composed an original NBA-themed musical called The Evolution of Greatness, which they will perform — along with Hamilton actor Daveed Diggs, DJ and producer DJ Jazzy Jeff, actor Michael B. Jordan, artist/producer Jidenna, and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Darryl “DMC” McDaniels — prior to the game. The Evolution of Greatness will follow the historical path of the league from the 1950s to present day.”"

Questlove, a frontman of the band, is a producer of the increasingly popular musical Hamilton and has scored multiple films — including Top Five with Chris Rock.

Kyrie Irving starred in a Nike commercial with Questlove a couple months ago. Michael B. Jordan also starred in the latest Nike ad with LeBron James and many others.

Jordan, in addition to his name that’s strikingly similar to the Chicago Bulls legend, is no stranger to acting roles involving sports.

He voices a character in the NBA 2K17 video game, starred in the new Rocky boxing film Creed last year and played a Texas high school quarterback in season four and five of NBC’s Friday Night Lights.

The NBA All-Star Weekend festivities will feature another late night TV act in Jon Batiste, who is the musical director for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

There’s a lot to look forward to each year during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend festivities. But for fans of good music and sports, this may be the most exciting event during the break from games.