\ud83d\udc23 Day 1: Rising Stars, aka the kids show<\/h2>\n\nThe fun tips off with tonight\u2019s Rising Stars game, <\/strong>the NBA\u2019s annual showcase of the best young talent…well, most of it<\/a>. Twenty-one rookies and second-year players were drafted<\/a> onto three teams coached by league legends Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Carmelo Anthony. The fourth team features G League players and is helmed by former NBAer Austin Rivers.<\/p>\n\n- Team Melo will play Team Austin at 9 p.m. ET, followed by a clash between Team T-Mac and Team Vince at 9:55 p.m. ET. These semifinal games are a race to 40 points, then the winners will battle in a first-to-25 championship. Short and sweet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In the spirit of introducing young talent to the world, <\/strong>here\u2019s three up-and-comers to watch:<\/p>\n\ud83d\udc1d Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets) \u2014 Team T-Mac:<\/strong> Hot on injured Dallas Maverick<\/a> Cooper Flagg\u2019s heels in the Rookie of the Year race<\/a> is his former Duke teammate, a player who never thought he\u2019d hoop in the NBA<\/a>. But Knueppel\u2019s here to stay, averaging 18.9 points per game and generating some, ahem, colorful commentary<\/a>.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udc99 VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers) \u2014 Team Vince:<\/strong> Anyone who draws comparisons<\/a> to iconic NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has our full attention. From his natural playmaking ability to his elite athleticism, Edgecombe\u2019s been fearless for the Sixers all season, particularly impressing with his two-way play.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udc34 Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs) \u2014 Team Melo:<\/strong> The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year took the league by storm last year, and he\u2019s only getting better. Castle just became the third-youngest player in NBA history to put up a 40-point triple-double<\/a>, beaten to the milestone by only LeBron James and Luka Don\u010di\u0107 \u2014 pretty good company for the 21-year-old.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u2728 Day 2: All-Star Saturday Night<\/h2>\n![\"Everything](\"https:\/\/cdn.sanity.io\/images\/rdxk7lfa\/production\/d1c48dda8ee2021b8df87e967d49fb3e3aba87b4-512x289.png?w=600&h=339&q=75&fit=max&auto=format\")
<\/p>\nSource: Mark Blinch\/AP Photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nBasketball\u2019s a team sport, but All-Star Saturday Night is all about the individual.<\/strong> From the long-range assassins to the high-flying dunkers, let\u2019s break down the three-event slate, which begins at 5 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n\ud83e\udea3 The three-point contest: <\/strong>These sharpshooters<\/a> have just 70 seconds to knock down as many threes as possible, with the three highest scorers advance to the championship round \u2014 and our money\u2019s on Portland Trail Blazer Damian Lillard. The perennial All-Star\u2019s been sidelined with a torn Achilles, giving him plenty of time to perfect his shot.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udcab The Shooting Stars challenge: <\/strong>Taking the place of the skills challenge, the Shooting Stars challenge is back like it never left. Featuring four themed teams of three<\/a> \u2014 two NBA players and one league legend \u2014 the goal is to hit as many shots as possible from seven spots on the floor\u2026in a specific order. It\u2019s giving playground energy.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udcaa The dunk contest: <\/strong>The night ends with what\u2019s always been the marquee event, but let\u2019s be honest, it\u2019s lost some of its luster recently as the league\u2019s best dunkers have opted out. This year is following that same trend with Carter Bryant (San Antonio Spurs), Jaxson Hayes (LA Lakers), Keshad Johnson (Miami Heat), and Jase Richardson (Orlando Magic) making up the four-man field<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n- Each player will perform two dunks in front of a panel of five judges. The two dunkers with the highest combined scores advance to the second round, where the process is repeated to crown a champion. It\u2019s time to slam now.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Could one of these dunk contest debutants<\/strong> throw down a jaw-dropping jam? Time will tell, but until then\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/div>\nLet\u2019s count down our fave dunks in the event\u2019s history \ud83c\udfc0<\/h2>\n\u2b50 Day 3: The All-Star Game<\/h2>\n![\"Everything](\"data:image\/png;base64,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\")
![\"Everything](\"https:\/\/cdn.sanity.io\/images\/rdxk7lfa\/production\/4136c68fea2cd35efe4f1d26c37ee21377065a2a-1600x1066.png?rect=1,0,1599,1066&w=600&h=400&q=75&fit=max&auto=format\")
<\/p>\nSource: NBA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nLast but not least, Sunday brings the ASG, beginning at 5 p.m. ET.<\/strong> And the NBA is in full makeover mode, debuting a brand-new format after years of revamps and rejiggers.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udcda The history: <\/strong>Traditionally, the ASG was a single game between the best players from the Eastern and Western Conferences. The ASG reached its 21st century viewership peak in 2002, when 13.1M folks tuned in \u2014 but the eyeballs have plummeted since.<\/p>\n\n- Given the dwindling viewership, the NBA started shaking up the format in 2018, but nothing\u2019s stuck. In fact, the 2025 ASG, which featured the league\u2019s first attempt at a \u201cmini-tournament style game\u201d was the second least-watched ASG ever<\/em><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- In an effort to entice more than last year\u2019s 4.7M viewers \u2014 and perhaps to encourage more competitiveness between players \u2014 the NBA is leaning on a tried-and-true theme this time around: international competition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u2699\ufe0f How the 2026 edition works: <\/strong>This year\u2019s ASG is a U.S. vs. World competition, with the league\u2019s best divided into three teams according to their nationality. There are two American teams \u2014 Stars and Stripes \u2014 and one World squad.<\/p>\n\n- The All-Star \u201cGame\u201d will actually be four 12-minute mini-games. The first three games are round robin play and will go as follows:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 Game 1: USA Stars vs. Team World<\/p>\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3 Game 2: USA Stripes vs. winner of Game 1<\/p>\n
3\ufe0f\u20e3 Game 3: USA Stripes vs. loser of Game 1<\/p>\n
\n- Those tilts will decide the All-Star Championship, which will feature the top two teams from the round robin. If all three teams finish 1-1, point differential will determine who plays for the championship. Here for the innovation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
\u26f9\ufe0f The NBA\u2019s shiniest hoopers<\/h2>\n![\"Everything](\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABQAAAAeCAIAAACjcKk8AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAG50lEQVR4nC3O+VOTiQHG8fcXORIikLwkIeR+cxDIfZCLNyeQ6yU3CUlAjhACMYsBORQlgiuM3BIsIIQb3CCKrkrXY3fHdta1Vel26rTb9q\/p4HTm8+v3mQcw7H8xHf9uevSlZu4FLTxWLA+g2FY0ZMFXuziqVo6mnSBtrqpyjdM0n\/CV\/y5j\/aMMOsMxPuOYZyAE6Hf+5n76r6bT\/9TnfpPNvYS6ZkC4naLww7Zuf9OQzz9kdPUZ4ci3dPVfQPY\/ccy\/4xhnWPonHOMTyAAM2Y9tp7\/H3\/7X\/eSLKfur4uY+5EoJ6y45g8mAv8\/rTLibr\/gc0Rm+8T1N9BuNf0bjfyZxP4LMDzg6YHjwa1PurPfk7Jvc+0T2dfjWA3PLoCWYDHQONgaS9c5uX9tgPDq0Hu79EOw8C0c\/N136KDe8J7D+hKUC6tlXuqmn0cyTe4cvN3LP51Z2+0dnUqPTNyczvUOT4fhoYngqnZ4\/uJt5f3\/9r6sbH+7M\/GLxvCNx34IMgBm5A7kHPD1jCyvb+989Xs0epCcz6anMzNLG8Ph8R3Lsm5GpsYnFzYW1t5t7P29s\/zQ5+84ZesdRvKEJAawQwXKNMoO\/K3l9aOzu5aHb4dhwpHu4O5WOxIbtTb2elisd0aHpxPBJ6trL1PDp5cE\/h+If6gNvRXoAZMEYspzEVCkk9bIaB1tmp4mtNLGVJW9kK1w0kZ0isklF1iGR8Vikfao2P0MCv4QTH4O9r+RmoJSqJFdIVVSZh1Wjo8ooJAmmQo6mqLBsA1lkr+Bbipkwg6Luo8mOBOpjm++o4\/Jpa+K1NfiMIwOKyyU6mjwt1q\/qrNcltUaaCE+SlEK1VRqXydWud4RZMgsHgnuq4HXfpY3x2ZW51dXU6JYJeUjhAkVEsYEqnxMZtmDLhFRbRxXgCMJihqa61lvnjZpcrVyljcPUxjmatebO9fk\/LGU2ZgdGlzTmLIEOoIhCYYU4CtUkK1VtTKmqQoAtF19kqMliO0fjYyndRKEVYsI9LOWOw\/+wf3i9fyTTEV+UaTMgFcASq7RMSUxYmxAbutgKJ6m6ii5jyAw8GBHAXrbSTRQhDK45KNAuuP17ySvZRF8mnpx1eCchPkAlV7eIlMsm+4a58Z5ANVTOaWBJFUbE6InYvB0aaytDGYAEtkaV8U5PbD+TyWW3D7M7Kzcm0io9wGWIU2rjQ4fn2O7dlteOk7kIU6LVeWzeqLu5W9\/YwdI0cyRIyGRZHu3P7e8+f\/HHV29+3ltaHdM3AAJIdr3WlkMCR4h\/U2lI06qcdFGdyuF2trsC3Vp7O1MV5EqRkN2VmbhxuLtz\/OjJydPn69ML12EzwIXkfTCyjwRzNu+mDE5TeW4q3ynRhexBb3MMRjrZmmZI0mir86VHx7e2tg8OHu4f5JYmplIaA0BhK8Mm\/7ozfIT4dtSmCTrfS+O5FcqWRo8\/1GX2xHi6FqYYMdY6hvtHtra2j4+ffP\/ih\/WF5UStCYB42qgtsuVueYz4D1WmaSo\/xOIHGwxtoYAv1GVwd1eaOlkyj0VjGU9d3d\/ePTn5\/s2P7\/bWNnuNDQCfp+mvD+45Q8d2b06mnydXhyChy9QQCkS8oZjJl6i29HCUTY0qy91kaj+7dfTo8avXP+49yPaYLQCDLg3W2G+bnHM6ywyv5iqRayfzrNLaYGMg2NJrC\/WJrD0shdesariZTG0+2Dg4+O7Z89ON5dVOQx1wEQexKUINU2KgC3REjgzHqMRDGrbYYbA7vO0w0s7WBKj8erWy\/mrfYHZjc3d3b\/8wtzSz0AIbgRKQCpYxCGVMPMgAS2mlpXQQy6SXcyvZcq5QT6\/Wg5CmjCaXiOB4Z29mMbNyf+X+\/bXZ9O241giEGxgRAxTU8JwysbVKaIUEVrrIwq6pExl1ono5z8zj2yulnhp92NMyEL82231rsX1ioWMk3RYIAkcjpFyCutvKXw4Y5x31i1r9osI0o3NNemOjnkTMHHVZ+6xN45bWaSR+zzuwgoys6m6uaG5N68cGgR47vsdcHoPZl7SyiEIZqZKE2ZJmvjYEO5vrQla1Ty73iFTNam3Io4ukzO03GjoHbB29SKjb6QLwODweR8TjKkCQCuKouFIyroRSBjIr6EImT0NmKUrKq0pwEKeU7Cgpv4alreCgTZC1BjKXcHQgD43PQ+MvoPEXigh554j5mPKCYjIGD2HJ1cXllYU4etFFEhWNlRcUWQswXYXYMVTZNIowjSIAeUVlX+HPYQh5GEI+5rwvLK5AYWmoUmp+MQV9kVSBxnILi3gFaHEBxlhYHEBhY2gQuIAG\/6+o7EIR\/tzXifMXGGIehpSHIaEwxHJUKasAzc5HQV\/x84vUBZj\/AT9vOqYcDVI2AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\")
![\"Everything](\"https:\/\/cdn.sanity.io\/images\/rdxk7lfa\/production\/0f23d3c8a99a97ce46640510d09797fd5ff1bd68-1067x1600.png?w=600&h=900&q=75&fit=max&auto=format\")
<\/p>\nSource: NBA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nNow that we have a handle on the new format, here are a few standout players to watch<\/a> on every squad.<\/p>\n\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Team Stars: <\/strong>From the strength and on-court swagger of Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) to the scrappiness of Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers), Team Stars is ready to shine bright. They also boast seven-footer Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder) for all things defense.<\/p>\n\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Team Stripes: <\/strong>No Steph Curry? No problem. Even without the injured Golden State Warrior<\/a>, Team Stripes\u2019 veteran power is hard to ignore, led by 22-time All-Star LeBron James (LA Lakers), Durant (Houston Rockets), and workhorses Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) and Jalen Brunson (NY Knicks).<\/p>\n\ud83c\udf0d Team World: <\/strong>Much like Team Stripes, Team World will be without one of their best stars: injured reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>. There\u2019s still tons<\/em> of talent though, with Nikola Joki\u0107 (Denver Nuggets), Don\u010di\u0107, and Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) all on the same team. How lucky are we?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The fun tips off with tonight\u2019s Rising Stars game, <\/strong>the NBA\u2019s annual showcase of the best young talent…well, most of it<\/a>. Twenty-one rookies and second-year players were drafted<\/a> onto three teams coached by league legends Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Carmelo Anthony. The fourth team features G League players and is helmed by former NBAer Austin Rivers.<\/p>\n In the spirit of introducing young talent to the world, <\/strong>here\u2019s three up-and-comers to watch:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc1d Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets) \u2014 Team T-Mac:<\/strong> Hot on injured Dallas Maverick<\/a> Cooper Flagg\u2019s heels in the Rookie of the Year race<\/a> is his former Duke teammate, a player who never thought he\u2019d hoop in the NBA<\/a>. But Knueppel\u2019s here to stay, averaging 18.9 points per game and generating some, ahem, colorful commentary<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc99 VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers) \u2014 Team Vince:<\/strong> Anyone who draws comparisons<\/a> to iconic NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has our full attention. From his natural playmaking ability to his elite athleticism, Edgecombe\u2019s been fearless for the Sixers all season, particularly impressing with his two-way play.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc34 Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs) \u2014 Team Melo:<\/strong> The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year took the league by storm last year, and he\u2019s only getting better. Castle just became the third-youngest player in NBA history to put up a 40-point triple-double<\/a>, beaten to the milestone by only LeBron James and Luka Don\u010di\u0107 \u2014 pretty good company for the 21-year-old.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Source: Mark Blinch\/AP Photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Basketball\u2019s a team sport, but All-Star Saturday Night is all about the individual.<\/strong> From the long-range assassins to the high-flying dunkers, let\u2019s break down the three-event slate, which begins at 5 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udea3 The three-point contest: <\/strong>These sharpshooters<\/a> have just 70 seconds to knock down as many threes as possible, with the three highest scorers advance to the championship round \u2014 and our money\u2019s on Portland Trail Blazer Damian Lillard. The perennial All-Star\u2019s been sidelined with a torn Achilles, giving him plenty of time to perfect his shot.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcab The Shooting Stars challenge: <\/strong>Taking the place of the skills challenge, the Shooting Stars challenge is back like it never left. Featuring four themed teams of three<\/a> \u2014 two NBA players and one league legend \u2014 the goal is to hit as many shots as possible from seven spots on the floor\u2026in a specific order. It\u2019s giving playground energy.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcaa The dunk contest: <\/strong>The night ends with what\u2019s always been the marquee event, but let\u2019s be honest, it\u2019s lost some of its luster recently as the league\u2019s best dunkers have opted out. This year is following that same trend with Carter Bryant (San Antonio Spurs), Jaxson Hayes (LA Lakers), Keshad Johnson (Miami Heat), and Jase Richardson (Orlando Magic) making up the four-man field<\/a>.<\/p>\n Could one of these dunk contest debutants<\/strong> throw down a jaw-dropping jam? Time will tell, but until then\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Source: NBA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Last but not least, Sunday brings the ASG, beginning at 5 p.m. ET.<\/strong> And the NBA is in full makeover mode, debuting a brand-new format after years of revamps and rejiggers.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcda The history: <\/strong>Traditionally, the ASG was a single game between the best players from the Eastern and Western Conferences. The ASG reached its 21st century viewership peak in 2002, when 13.1M folks tuned in \u2014 but the eyeballs have plummeted since.<\/p>\n \u2699\ufe0f How the 2026 edition works: <\/strong>This year\u2019s ASG is a U.S. vs. World competition, with the league\u2019s best divided into three teams according to their nationality. There are two American teams \u2014 Stars and Stripes \u2014 and one World squad.<\/p>\n 1\ufe0f\u20e3 Game 1: USA Stars vs. Team World<\/p>\n 2\ufe0f\u20e3 Game 2: USA Stripes vs. winner of Game 1<\/p>\n 3\ufe0f\u20e3 Game 3: USA Stripes vs. loser of Game 1<\/p>\n Source: NBA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Now that we have a handle on the new format, here are a few standout players to watch<\/a> on every squad.<\/p>\n \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Team Stars: <\/strong>From the strength and on-court swagger of Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) to the scrappiness of Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers), Team Stars is ready to shine bright. They also boast seven-footer Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder) for all things defense.<\/p>\n \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Team Stripes: <\/strong>No Steph Curry? No problem. Even without the injured Golden State Warrior<\/a>, Team Stripes\u2019 veteran power is hard to ignore, led by 22-time All-Star LeBron James (LA Lakers), Durant (Houston Rockets), and workhorses Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) and Jalen Brunson (NY Knicks).<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0d Team World: <\/strong>Much like Team Stripes, Team World will be without one of their best stars: injured reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>. There\u2019s still tons<\/em> of talent though, with Nikola Joki\u0107 (Denver Nuggets), Don\u010di\u0107, and Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) all on the same team. How lucky are we?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\u2728 Day 2: All-Star Saturday Night<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n\n
Let\u2019s count down our fave dunks in the event\u2019s history \ud83c\udfc0<\/h2>\n
\u2b50 Day 3: The All-Star Game<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n\n
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\u26f9\ufe0f The NBA\u2019s shiniest hoopers<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n