Oakley teen Jaren Barajas stole the show at Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, winning a half-court shooting contest against NBA star Damian Lillard, and earning himself a $100,000 prize in the process.

If you watched Sunday night’s frankly quite boring NBA All-Star Game played at the Chase Center, you are aware that there were many painfully long time-killers during the broadcast in between the actual basketball game components. But one of those time-killers turned out to be quite entertaining, and not just because we didn’t have to hear Kevin Hart during the segment.

There was a little contest sponsored by YouTube star MrBeast, called the MrBeast $100,000 Challenge. The challenge involved some random audience member going up against Milwaukee Bucks star and Oakland native Damian Lillard, and trying to shoot one successful basket from the half-court logo in the time that it took Lillard to make three such shots.    

The audience member selected was 18-year-old Oakley teen Jaren Barajas. And the Chronicle reports that Barajas did indeed hit the half court shot, and won the $100,000.

“I got surprised with these tickets yesterday, so I didn’t even know I was coming to the game, so to have this experience it’s so surreal,” Barajas told the Associated Press. “I’m so thankful.”

The full six-minute segment is above. (You’ll have to forgive MrBeast for his greeting, “How’s it going , San Fran?”) Lillard had made two of the half-court shots, and was on the verge of hitting the third that would have defeated Barajas. But the young Barajas hit the half-court shot on his eighth attempt, right as the buzzer sounded to wrap up this lengthy segment and break for a commercial.

“It was dramatic, he made it as the clock was going off,” Lillard told the AP. “I love being part of stuff like that where you can impact somebody else.”

Barajas didn’t even have good seats for the game, telling the Chronicle that he and his father’s seats were “pretty much as high as you can go.” Yet he still managed to get selected to go on court for a contest, and certainly made the most of his opportunity.

According to KTVU, Barajas is a freshman studying business at Pittsburg’s Los Medanos College, and did play high school basketball last year at Freedom High School in Oakley.

Related: Steph Curry Wins MVP Trophy In Otherwise Extremely Humdrum NBA All-Star Game [SFist]

Image: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 16: Jaren Barajas celebrates after making a half court shot during the 74th NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center on February 16, 2025 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

If you think there’s “something wrong” with Anh Phoong’s ubiquitous billboards, here’s your chance to design a new billboard for the Phoong Law Corp, and win as much as $500 in prize money.

On a personal level, I must admit that one time back in early 2024, I made a smart remark on Twitter about the appearance of personal injury attorney Anh Phoong on the Phoong Law Corp billboards. And boy did I get smacked back by Anh Phoong herself.

Maybe you will have better luck with your feedback on Anh Phoong’s billboards. The Chronicle reports that there is now a “design your own Anh Phoong billboard” contest to create a new billboard for the Phoong Law Corp. The first prize winner receives $500, second prize is $300, and the third place winner gets $150.

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A post shared by Anh Phoong⚖️ (@phoonglaw)

The deadline to submit your entry is Monday, February 10, so you have a little under two weeks. Compliance with State Bar of California advertising rules could affect your odds of winning.  The Instagram link below provides some 13 headshots and templates that are recommended for use, but you can take this whatever direction you please.

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A post shared by Anh Phoong (@anhphoong)

And if you happen to be a fan of Anh Phoong, we must recommend stand-up comic JR De Guzman’s “Anh Phoong Song,” performed below with Phoong herself in the audience.

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A post shared by JR De Guzman (@jrdguz)

Image: Joe Kukura, SFist

Pizzeria Delfina, which is now known for its cool and clever promotional t-shirts, is reaching out to the pizza-loving community at large to design them a new shirt. The winning designer will win free pizza for a year — or, actually, a $1,000 gift card, which in certain circles might only last a couple months, but still, that's a lot of free pizza.

The deal is this: Design a t-shirt using this template, indicating the color of the shirt, and limiting the printed design to no more than three colors. Submit the file (PEG, PNG, TIF or GIF) via the official contest site before noon on July 9. The designs will be voted on by the general public, and the winning designer will be honored at an event in July.

Previous shirt designs that were not created via contest have included this Pride-inspired pie logo from two years ago, and more textual ones featuring Yelp reviews like one that said, "The pizza was SOOOO greasy. I am assuming this was in part due to the pig fat."

Given the fact that you can't throw an iPad in this town without hitting a graphic designer, we expect to see many terrific designs flood in. Get to it.

[Pizzeria Delfina T-Shirt Design Contest]

You know it's that time of year. You know what to do: drag out that fugly sweater from the closet and wear it with pride. And at what better place to where than a party where you could be rewarded for such a sartorial atrocity. Parallel 37 hosts an Egg Nog & Ugly Sweater Party where $50 gift cards will be awarded for the most festive sweater and best nog mug, so please don't forget them.

Bartenders Camber and Amy will serve two versions of both modern and classic eggnog for only $5 if you to bring your own holiday mug ($7 without). Also noteworthy? Complementary holiday pastries. So hop to it. The festivities go from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Parallel 37: 600 Stockton (at Pine), SF

We are elated to bring you news that a non-professional pie contest, happening this Saturday at Party On Black 18, is poised to turn sister against sister, mother against son, and friend into enemy. It's pie. It's brutal. It's on.

Pies must be able to be served cold or at room temperature. They must also contain no walnuts since walnuts are vile and taste like charred aspirin. (Actually, it's fine if you use walnuts, weirdo.) We were told by pie committee executives that, yes, tarts are perfectly acceptable. Galettes might be pushing it. Cakes, however, are verboten. Except for cheesecake, which, technically, falls under the pie umbrella.

Pie categories are as follows: fruit, chocolate, nut, or other. It's $20 to enter, and all pie contest proceeds will be donated to Party on Block 18 beneficiaries (i.e., 826 Valencia, the Women's Building, Nextcourse, Holy Family Day Home, Buen Dia, and 18 Reasons). The winners will be announced live.

And the judges? Two of our favorite writers and people in San Francisco media: columnist Leah Garchik (SF Chronicle) and Food Editor Tamara Palmer as celeb judges. Pies will be judged on the following criteria: appearance, crust, taste, originality of recipe.

The warm-fruit and lattice-work blood bath happens Saturday, September 29, at 3639 18th Street. Judging will start at about 1 or 1:30 p.m.

[Facebook]

Easter in Dolores Park: We imagine Dolores Park will be stuffed to the gills on Sunday as the beloved Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence host their annual Hunky Jesus / Easter Bonnet contests and much more, the theme of which this year is Pumps & Circumstance. The kids can also take part in an Easter egg hunt (along with checking out that incredible playground).

BYOBW 12: Then, hop on your big wheel and head to Potrero Hill for everyone's favorite race: the 12th annual Bring Your Own Big Wheel Contest. Be sure to help clean up after the event, and the organizers note that the cops will be there to check I.D.'s for underage drinking.

MAPP, All Day Art & Performance Crawl: Over 14 venues as well as public spaces, street corners, bart stations, cafes, bars, taquerias, homes all over the Mission will be taking part in this event featuring free live music, spoken word, performance art, film screenings, BBQ’s, garage sales, "unorthodox conversations", and happenings.

International Pillow Fight Day: For those who didn't get enough on Valentine's Day, Flavorpill has it listed that San Francisco is participating in the international event that's happening on Saturday afternoon, but time and location are TBA. Keep your eye on their page for up-to-date info.

Golden Gate Jubilee 2012, Carnaval in the Park: Celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge with a preview of the upcoming SF Carnaval event, featuring SambaFunk! FlashMob Bloco featuring King Theo and the Funkquarians, Colombian Soul
Sistas-wit-Style, and more.

If we had any ounce of adventurousness in us on this rainy morning, we'd be on the road to Half Moon Bay for the 38th Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, which we just read about on FunCheapSF.

The current world record for heaviest pumpkin to beat is 1,810.5 pounds, which was set last year at a GPC Weigh-Off in Stillwater, Minnesota. The top local pumpkins from the past two years weighed in at 1,535 pounds in 2010 and 1,658 pounds in 2009.

Bay City News calculates that "[t]he biggest pumpkin will fetch a prize of $6 per pound--possibly over $10,000 -- and prizes will be awarded for second through 10th place."

Those wishing to witness the champion mega-pumpkin and the five championship runner-ups in person can check them out at Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival next weekend. You can even get your photo taken alongside the giant gourd.

[FunCheapSF]

Kate Nash (yes, she of the British music press hoopla) is playing at the Fillmore tonight, and one lucky SFist reader can win a pair of tickets simply by entering below. This contest ends at noon today, so hurry.