"I was little weary at first" - Masai Russell reveals her initial thoughts on joining the NBA All-Star Game

Masai Russell won her first Olympic gold medal in Paris in the 100m hurdles. The track icon was invited to the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game earlier this month and recently shared her initial thoughts and the experience she had with other celebrities.

During the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Russell competed against Shelby McEwen, who won the silver medal in high jump at the Paris Olympics. It was McEwen's team that emerged victorious in the end. The NBA, through its Instagram handle, also celebrated Russell along with other famous individuals. She shared her primary thoughts on participating in the game and having an amazing time in an interview with FloTrack.

“I had a great time. I don't regret going. I was a little weary at first just because for me, like when I'm in season, I'm locked in and that's what I'm focused on. The opportunity presented itself, so I didn't feel like I could turn it down. I was out there, like I said, ‘serving looks no stats’ period, out there just having fun. I told everyone I touched the basketball more the last three days than I have in the last three years. Just enjoying life, having a great time,” she said. [0:59 onwards]

Masai Russell, who is a Kentucky Wildcats alum, holds two collegiate records in both the 60m hurdles and the 100m hurdles. She also recently clinched her first US indoor title at the USATF in 60m hurdles and clocked in a time of 7.74 seconds. At the Texas Tech Corky Classic, Russell won the 60m hurdles, securing the win in 7.89s.

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Masai Russell reflected on the growing popularity of women’s track and field

Masai Russell at the 2025 USATF Indoor Championships - Source: Getty

Masai Russell is a prominent track and field sprinter and hurdler and has achieved multiple accolades throughout her career. During an interview with USA Track and Field, the Olympic champion shared her thoughts on the growing popularity of women’s track and field and her thoughts on the sudden growth.

“Women in sports, but the track. I'm just glad that, I'm a part of this era to be just pushed at the forefront of track and the media on the scene. People talking about it, people trying to see what we're doing. Grand Slam's in the picture, Athlos is in the picture. So it's definitely a great time to be competing, great time to be alive, great time to be one of the faces of track,” she said [2:40 onwards]

Russell expressed her excitement and reflected optimistically on the rising fame of women’s track and field. She shared her thoughts on the visibility the female athletes are getting throughout multiple events they feature in.