Jennifer Hudson Playing in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game 'in Honor' of Her Murdered Brother

Hudson's brother Jason, mother Darnell Donerson and 7-year-old nephew Julian King were killed in October 2008

Jennifer Hudson is playing in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game for a very special reason — her late brother Jason.

On Wednesday’s episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, the singer and actress, 42, revealed that her dream of taking part in the event was finally becoming a reality.

“Y'all know the NBA All-Star Game is coming up?” Hudson asked as she addressed the audience. “And you know I’m a basketball mom right? I always go every year with my son and his cousins. I call them Camp David cause they’re all basketball heads,” continued the EGOT winner as a snap of herself and son David Daniel, 14, at an All-Star Game flashed up on the screen.

The talk show host, who shares her son with ex-fiancé David Otunga, then revealed that the game is “significant” because it falls on the same date as her late brother's birthday every year. Hudson's brother, mother Darnell Donerson and 7-year-old nephew Julian King were murdered in October 2008. Her former brother-in-law, William Balfour, was convicted of the murders.

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“His birthday was February 17th and he was big on basketball too,” Hudson said of Jason. “So that makes me a huge basketball fan and in honor of him I always make a point to celebrate his birthday that way.”

She then added that it made her want to be on the Celebrity All-Star Game team, before revealing, “Guess what, it’s finally happening! I have been invited to play on the NBA All-Star Basketball Team!”

“You see I’m tall enough, right? I’ve been under my kid’s direction, I’m going into training and everything,” Hudson continued. “I’m calling everybody because I’ve got to make the son proud 'cause I can’t get out there and don’t know what I’m doing.”

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She added that she was taking the game very seriously and therefore her heels, glasses, hair and "nails will be coming off."

“I'm gonna throw some braids up there, Mama Hud is gonna be ready for this game because I’ve got to make my kid proud, boys proud.” 

Hudson then revealed that she called professional basketball coach and former player Derek Fisher, 49, for some tips, before a video of her training with NBA shooting coach, Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews, was displayed.

“Overall, I cannot shame these kids and I want to make my brother proud on his heavenly birthday,” Hudson said. “And after I become the MVP certified celebrity MVP I'm gonna come back and tell y'all all about it.”

The show then switched to a segment of Fisher training Hudson to handle and control the ball before practicing her shooting skills.

The crowd in the studio cheered as Hudson began to take her first shot, however, the ball ended up flying over the hoop, leading to the star and the audience to laugh.

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“Don’t push it at the basket, you gotta make sure it still goes up a little bit," Fisher explained as he assured Hudson that missed shots “happen to the best of us.”

While Hudson’s second shot almost made it into the hoop, she immediately took a third shot, which went right in.

“Yes!” she screamed as Fisher gave her a high five and the audience cheered.

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