From suiting up for the Super Bowl to clinching NBA All-Star selections to being on the precipice of NFL awards, former Bruins have made waves across the sports world. Daily Bruin reporter Badri Viswanathan takes a look at Westwood’s basketball and football elites in this week’s Pro Bruin Rundown.

NBA: Norman Powell, Miami Heat; Zach LaVine, Sacramento Kings

“It’s tough,” said then-Clippers shooting guard Norman Powell with a shrug after finding out he was left out of the All-Star game roster.

The former Bruin guard missed the 2025 NBA All-Star roster in what was viewed by some as the league’s biggest snub.

“A guy like this who’s been a really good player in this league for a long time. … I feel bad,” said Hall of Famer and former league Most Valuable Player Charles Barkley on Jan. 30. “I love Norman Powell.”

Powell’s All-Star moment had seemingly passed him by – so he tracked it down and captured it the following season.

Since being traded to the Miami Heat in July, Powell has averaged 23 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game on 47.2% shooting from the field, 39.2% from beyond the arc and 84.4% from the charity stripe.

The shooting guard clinched the first All-Star selection of his 11-year career on Sunday, culminating a precipitous rise that began in Westwood.

Powell played for UCLA men’s basketball from 2011 to 2015, leading the Bruins to two Sweet Sixteen berths and earning First Team All-Pac-12 honors as a senior.

He was selected No. 46 in the 2016 NBA Draft, viewed as an athletic prospect with shooting deficiencies.

The guard spent the first four years of his professional career averaging single-digit points while carving out a defensive role.

But after years of improvement, Powell is now a proficient scorer and three-point marksman, ranking in the top 25 in points per game and three-pointers made.

Powell will compete in the NBA All-Star game on Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Zach LaVine is another former Bruin guard who scaled the climb from raw athlete to All-Star.

The 2013-14 Pac-12 All-Freshman teamer won the dunk contest in his first two seasons in the league and then upped his 3-point shooting and scoring volume in the following seasons, earning All-Star selections in 2021 and 2022.

LaVine is averaging 19.8 points per game on 48.3% shooting from the field and 39.5% from the 3-point line this season. The shooting guard also scored a season-high 35 points on Sunday in a 116-112 loss to the Washington Wizards.

Despite being traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Sacramento Kings last season, LaVine’s name is circulating in trade rumors again ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.

His services as a scorer and 3-point shooter may be sought after by a title-contender looking to make a final push toward its championship ambition.

NFL: Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns; Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks; Jake Bobo, Seattle Seahawks

The annual NFL Honors ceremony will commence Thursday in San Francisco and a former UCLA football walk-on lies in pole position to capture Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Cleveland Browns middle linebacker Carson Schwesinger recorded 67 solo tackles, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and 11 tackles for loss in his rookie season, supporting a Browns defense that ranked fourth in total yards and third in passing yards allowed per game.

The four-year Bruin began his collegiate career as a redshirt freshman and a special teamer before blossoming into an AP First Team All-American and the No. 33 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

He was announced as the Professional Football Writers of America DROTY winner on Jan. 20 before being named one of five finalists for NFL DROTY on Jan. 22.

Running back Zach Charbonnet and wide receiver Jake Bobo will also be in the Bay Area this weekend, as their Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.

Charbonnet earned two All-Pac-12 accolades as a Bruin, racking up triple-digit rushing yards in both 2021 and 2022. He had his most productive season as a pro during the 2025-2026 campaign, amassing 730 rushing yards on four yards per carry, before suffering a season-ending torn ACL on Jan. 17.

Bobo was a member of the Bruins in 2022, hauling in 57 receptions and earning an All-Pac-12 honorable mention. He recorded just 20 receiving yards this season, but surpassed his regular-season totals in just two postseason games.

Bobo tallied 16 receiving yards in an NFC divisional round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 17 before gaining 17 more receiving yards in the NFC championship against the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 25.

The pair of Seahawks have a chance to win the first Super Bowl of their careers on Sunday.