College Freshman’s $100K Shot 🏀💰

PLUS Winners and Losers of NBA All-Star Weekend, Freshman NCAAW Star Getting BUCKETS! Historic Women’s College Basketball Streak Ended

February 17, 2025

Welcome to Office Chair Sports! Your home for everything Sports & Biz! Today, we’re covering top news about:

  • New NBA All-Star Game Format: 🔥 Or 🗑?

  • Winners and Losers of NBA All-Star Weekend

  • Freshman NCAAW Star Getting BUCKETS!

  • Historic Women’s College Basketball Streak Ended

  • College Freshman’s $100K Shot 🏀💰

  • Discount on MLS / NWSL Pre-Season Match

Together with

We’re giving away a free Sauna! Enter here

New NBA All-Star Game Format: 🔥 Or 🗑?

Steph Curry (who helped create it) won MVP as Team Shaq beat Team Chuck 41-25 in the championship game of their new mini-tournament.

The changes:

  • Three shorter games instead of one long one

  • Four teams of 8 players

  • Games to 40 points

  • Included Rising Stars winners

The good:

  • More competitive than last year's 400-point snoozer

  • Actual defense (blocks from Wemby and JJJ!)

  • Curry draining half-court shots

The bad:

  • Too many breaks (20-min TNT ceremony nobody knew about)

  • Hour wait between games for some teams

  • Draymond called it a "zero out of 10"

Future ideas:

  • Team USA vs World format (Giannis and Wemby love it)

  • Fewer stoppages when NBC takes over next year

  • Keep tinkering with format

As Curry said: "The way people consume basketball is different. It's not going to look like it used to. But it can still be fun for everybody."

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Winners and Losers of NBA All-Star Weekend

Overall sentiment on NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco was... rough.

Let's break down the winners and losers:

BIGGEST LOSERS:

  • The NBA itself (killed momentum with endless breaks and ceremonies)

  • The dunk contest (needs star power - Mac McClung can't carry it alone)

  • Oakland (got Saturday afternoon events but missed out on prime time)

  • Chris Paul & Wembanyama (made a mockery of skills competition)

WINNERS:

  • G League (owned first two nights, McClung's third dunk title)

  • The 3-point contest (still the best event, should close Saturday night)

  • Charles Barkley (trashed SF but donated $250K to a local homeless shelter)

  • Steph Curry (won MVP in his hometown... though it felt like an afterthought)

The new tournament format actually worked okay - more competitive than usual - but the NBA killed any momentum with constant interruptions, including a lengthy TNT farewell ceremony MID-GAME.

As Kevin Durant said about all the criticism: "It's more fun to complain about the NBA than to actually watch it."

Freshman NCAAW Star Getting BUCKETS!

HISTORY IN THE SEC! Vanderbilt freshman Mikayla Blakes just dropped 55 POINTS to break the NCAA freshman scoring record in a 98-88 OT win at Auburn!

The numbers are INSANE:

  • 55 points (23/24 from the free throw line)

  • 11 points in OT

  • 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals

She broke:

  • Elena Delle Donne's freshman record (54 in 2010)

  • Her own true freshman record (53 vs Florida on Jan. 30)

The craziest part? Blakes is the only freshman in the Division I top 10 scorers, averaging 21.8 PPG (8th nationally). She led Vandy back from 15 down, scoring 44 in regulation before taking over OT.

Big tests coming up for the 19-7 Commodores against #16 Oklahoma and #4 South Carolina. But right now, it's all about celebrating a freshman phenom making NCAA history! 🏀👑

Historic Women’s College Basketball Streak Ended

No. 7 UConn just DEMOLISHED No. 4 South Carolina 87-58, ending the Gamecocks' 71-game home winning streak!

The stars showed up BIG:

  • Azzi Fudd: 28 points (60% from three)

  • Sarah Strong: 16 points, 13 rebounds

  • Paige Bueckers: Near triple-double despite shooting struggles

This wasn't just any win:

  • First road win vs top-5 team since 2018

  • First 20+ point road win vs top-5 since 2014

  • Shot 50% from three in the first half

The Gamecocks are really missing a go-to scorer, while UConn has multiple options in Fudd, Bueckers, and freshman Strong.

This shakes up the national title race even more after USC upset #1 UCLA on Thursday. UConn's looking like a Final Four team hitting their stride at the perfect time! 🏀

College Freshman’s $100K Shot 🏀💰

The BEST moment of All-Star Weekend wasn't even from a pro!

18-year-old college freshman Jaren Barajas just won $100K by beating Damian Lillard in MrBeast's halfcourt challenge!

The scene was WILD:

  • Had to make one logo shot before Dame hit three

  • Drained it on his final attempt at the buzzer

  • Shaq went crazy, jumping and hugging him

  • Steph couldn't believe it from courtside

  • Got lifted by mascots and showered in cash

Barajas, who studies at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, CA, called it "life-changing" and plans to use it for his education and family. Even Dame loved it: "I love being part of stuff like that where you can impact somebody else."

The NBA matched the moment by donating $100K split between Lillard's scholarship fund and local Boys and Girls Clubs. Now THAT'S All-Star magic! 🏀💰

Internships 🙋

1. Broadcasting Internship (Texas Rangers) - The Broadcasting Intern will immerse themselves in all aspects of the Broadcasting Department. The ideal candidate will possess a basic understanding of live sports broadcasts and non-linear workflows and a passion for learning.

2. Live Production Intern (UFC) - UFC’s Internship Program is designed to provide interns the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained through their academic experience in a real-world corporate setting. Over the course of the program, the interns will become fully immersed in the daily operations of their department and will be directly involved with tasks and projects that contribute to UFC’s continued growth.

3. Internship: Global Partnerships (Summer 2025) - The Global Partnership Intern will assist with and learn about corporate sponsorships and brand activation from MSE's Global Partnership Marketing Department. This is a paid internship.

4. Football Operations Intern - Training Camp (Indianapolis Colts) - We are seeking a Training Camp Intern to contribute to the Indianapolis Colts off-site training camp. This role will support the Football Operations department by planning and executing the Club’s training camp move and daily operation. You will make integral contributions as a Colts team member and will gain real hands-on experience and exposure to an NFL organization.

5. Training Camp Fan Engagement Internship (Minnesota Vikings) - The Minnesota Vikings are seeking to fill internship positions for Training Camp that will assist with executing initiatives in the Fan Village at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota. These individuals will aid in marketing, fan engagement, operations, and guest services initiatives included with the execution of Vikings Training Camp.

Job Board 💰

1. Brand Marketing Ambassador Coordinator (San Jose Sharks) - Under the direction of the Marketing Manager, the Brand Marketing Ambassador Coordinator (BMAC) will be responsible for coordinating and executing the Sharks Brand Ambassador Program, leveraging passionate advocates to connect with key growth audiences.

2. Assistant, Communications (NHL) - This position provides administrative support to the NHL’s Sr. Executive Vice President & Chief Communications Officer while supporting key department initiatives.

3. Production Assistant, Live Event Content (NASCAR) - The Production Assistant, Live Event Content plans, coordinates, produces, technical directs, camera operates, and edits various content of the company’s live racing broadcasts for international, in-venue, and digital programming.

4. Marketing & Fan Development Coordinator - The Foley Entertainment Group Marketing Team is looking for a detail-oriented, energetic, and driven individual to work as the Marketing and Fan Development Coordinator for the Henderson Silver Knights and Vegas Knight Hawks.

5. Graphic Design Associate (Pittsburgh Steelers) - The Pittsburgh Steelers are seeking a talented Graphic Design Associate to work within their internship program for the Digital, Broadcast and Gameday Content department.

Thanks for reading - see you soon!