Athletes and Celebs Mix It Up in San Francisco

Michael Sherman, Special to SI.com | Feb 27, 2025

Sports Illustrated

The top tier basketball players made it to the floor of the Chase Center for the NBA All-Star Game, which is one of the most exclusive sets in basketball. In the midst of the super star-studded weekend of events, the second-most exclusive set/event was the DraftKings x Sports Illustrated All-Star Party, which took place on Feb. 14 at Temple nightclub in downtown San Francisco. 

The unique night of DJ sets and good vibes was brought to fans by none other than the big man himself, DJ Diesel (aka Shaquille O'Neal), who delivered his signature mix of EDM and hip-hop, providing the pulse of the party until late into the night. The invite-only affair was packed with VIPs from sports and entertainment. Everyone from Flo Rida to Metta World Peace to Chris Brickley was there, along with folks like Trey Murphy, Fred and Sydney Warner, Masai Russell and Amanda Sorenson. 

The big man, on the heels of reportedly signing his new deal with "Inside the NBA," took to the turntables for a celebratory set. He’s even known to say that DJing is the only way he gets that “Game 7" feeling. That's right, just 48 hours before Team Shaq was crowned champion of the NBA's All-Star micro-tournament, you could find the team captain at the turntables dropping the bass, along with fellow Miami Heat alumnus DJ Irie.

​​The packed house enjoyed a night of exclusive hospitality, highlighted by Temple's dazzling, immersive light and sound array, and the signature cocktails provided courtesy of Grand Marnier.  If you follow any of the guests on Instagram, pictures of the bash found their way into your feed thanks to tech sponsor Boost Mobile. It was the perfect way to kick off NBA All-Star Weekend.  

Next year, work your connections to get yourself an invitation, and we'll see you there.