Behind an outburst from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and some actual All-Star Game defense from Victor Wembanyama, Charles Barkley’s team of international stars struck first Sunday night.
Team Chuck cruised to a 42-31 win over Team Kenny in the first semifinal, which featured a lineup of young stars headlined by Jalen Brunson and Evan Mobley. Anthony Edwards was reportedly a DNP due to a cold.
Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 12 points, including the game-winning bucket. Gilgeous-Alexander beat Jaren Jackson Jr. off the dribble and put Team Chuck over 40 points with a two-handed dunk. The first team to 40 points in the semifinal round wins.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s easy path to the bucket with the game on the line won’t assuage critics tired of the lack of defense in the All-Star game. But Victor Wembanyama at least made an effort in his first All-Star game debut.
He finished with six points, four rebounds, one steal and this block of Cade Cunningham in the winning effort for Team Chuck.
Team Chuck will take on the winner between Team Candace and Team Shaq in the second semifinal.
How the new All-Star format works
The 74th NBA All-Star Game begins at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on TNT with a new tournament-style format but legend LeBron James will not be participating after earning his record 21st All-Star nod.
James was a late scratch Sunday due to lingering ankle soreness. So it might be fair to say he isn’t taking the event super seriously. Still, the show must go on.
Similar to the Rising Stars challenge, the NBA All-Stars will compete in a three-game tournament. The All-Stars have been split into three teams — through an All-Star Draft conducted by TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith. The first two matchups are Team Shaq vs. Team Candace Parker, and Team Chuck vs. Team Kenny. Parker’s team qualified Friday as the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge when it was coached by Chris Mullin, and it features Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht, Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey and others.
For each game in Sunday’s tournament, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points.
As for prize money, each player on the championship-winning team will receive $125,000; each player on the second-place team will receive $50,000; and each player on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.
LeBron James won’t be playing Sunday night. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
The rosters
The All-Star teams are comprised of the East and West starters (voted by fans, players and media members) and reserves (voted by coaches). Trae Young and Kyrie Irving were named as injury replacements for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis, respectively.
Here’s a breakdown of the rosters (listed in order of how each team was drafted).
Shaq’s OGs
Kenny’s Young Stars
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Jalen Brunson, Knicks
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies
Jalen Williams, Thunder
Darius Garland, Cavaliers
Evan Mobley, Cavaliers
Cade Cunningham, Pistons
Tyler Herro, Heat
Chuck’s Global Stars
Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks*
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
Pascal Siakam, Pacers
Alperen Şengün, Rockets
Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
Trae Young, Hawks *injured
Team Candace
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns
Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies
Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors
Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers
Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets (added by Parker after Friday’s games)
Live13 updates
Fan makes logo shot to win $100,000 at All-Star Game
Mr. Beast, the YouTube sensation, hosted a shooting contest between Damian Lillard and a fan for $100,000. The fan had to make one shot from the logo near halfcourt before Lillard made three. Lillard made two, but before he could sink his third the fan banked in the winning shot.
The All-Star players, just as hyped as the fans, showered the fan with congratulations.
Team Chuck moves on
Team Chuck topped Team Kenny in Game 1, 41-32, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander icing the contest with a dunk.
SGA shot 5-of-5 for 12 points in a game in which Anthony Edwards curiously did not play for Team Kenny.
The TNT broadcast said The Athletic reported Edwards had groin soreness.
Let’s see how the commentary plays out …
The NBA and commissioner Adam Silver want the All-Star event to be taken more seriously, with players actually competing.
But the four-man booth for Game 1 — Shaq, Candace Parker, Reggie Miller and Brian Anderson — was all about jokes and topics other than the game during the early going.
The broadcast also gave time during the game to Ernie Johnson and Kevin Hart, who were sitting with coaches Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. Hart screamed a lot about whatever as action on the court took place.
I have wondered for a very long time who the Kevin Hart fans are? Where they are? Why does Adam think he’s an ambassador lol. https://t.co/8GPCvBz5ku
When the broadcast went back to the actual broadcast booth, it was Anderson trying to give updates on the action, while his broadcast mates wanted to talk about anything except the action on the court.
The issue: If the game action isn’t interesting enough for the folks calling the game, why should anyone else care?
The NBA needs to take a hard look at this game presentation.
Victor Wembanyama is wreaking havoc, and the All-Stars are trying!
Led by Victor Wembanayama, the NBA’s young stars are injecting some energy into the All-Star Game for the first time in years. In a back-and-forth battle, Wembanyama has wreaked havoc on both ends, inspiring everyone to compete.
The All-Stars are actually trying
Victor Wembanyama is here to play some All-Star game defense:
Tyler Herro and Karl-Anthony Towns trading ridiculous 3s:
Trivia time: Evan Mobley scores 1st points in NBA’s new All-Star tournament format
In the first NBA All-Star tournament game, featuring Team Chuck vs. Team Kenny, it was Evan Mobley of Team Kenny who scored the first points of the new format.
In transition, the Cavs big man was on the receiving end of an alley-oop from Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams.
Mobley added another bucket as Team Chuck led 17-12 at the first timeout of the contest, which will be decided by the first to 40.
And we’re underway. There’s no game clock in these games. First team to 40 points in the semifinals wins.
All-Star intros full of pomp and circumstance are over. Team Kenny vs. Team Chuck is up next.
Giannis Antetokounmpo pledges to participate in 1-on-1 battle in 2026
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, speaking before the All-Star Game, pledged to participate in a 1-on-1 battle next season, if the NBA decides to add the event to its festivities.
“If I had the chance to play 1-on-1 with anybody, I would love to do it,” he said. “Anything that can make the weekend more exciting, more fun for the viewers, for the fans and for the players, I would love to participate. … If it’s a 1-on-1 competition, I would love to participate.”
He gives himself a pretty good shot, too.
“I think sometimes you forget, to be a good 1-on-1 player, you’ve got to be able to play both ways,” he said. “You’ve got to get a stop to get the ball. You don’t get a stop, you’re not getting the ball. It’s kind of hard, say, if Kyrie Irving is going against [Victor Wembanyama]. He’s got to get a stop. But it would be fun. It would be fun. I would love to participate if next year there’s a 1-on-1 tournament. I would love to participate.”
Is he sure?
“I can’t make no promises,” he said, “but if I’m healthy, I’d probably do it.
LeBron James’ record of 20 straight All-Star Game starts comes to an end
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will be sidelined for the All-Star Game on Sunday night, as he manages the ankle soreness that has plagued him for the past few seasons, ending his record-setting streak of 20 consecutive All-Star Game starts.
“I was hoping that it would feel a lot better this morning, but it’s just not where I wanted it to be,” said James. “With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I feel like it’s very important for me to take care of myself and understand what was coming on.
“It is maintenance, but at the same time I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury I’ve been dealing with for years.”
James flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco on Sunday and will return later in the night.
“There will be no vacation for me,” he said. “I head back to L.A. tonight and back to the rehab tomorrow and getting ready for practice on Tuesday.”
His availability for Wednesday’s home game against the Charlotte Hornets is questionable.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during a press conference at All-Star Saturday night festivities Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
SAN FRANCISCO — NBA commissioner Adam Silver sees all and hears all: the praise of where his game is or, most importantly, the constant critique the NBA is subject to, almost on a daily basis.
The never-ending 3-point discussion, one that even he has chimed in on at times.
The money element, the financial decisions that have played a big part in trades involving Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns, and the standoff with Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.
The officiating, the challenges with a million camera angles and a million more opinions on social media and in NBA locker rooms.
And he’s even contributed to it in ways, jokingly throwing gasoline onto the discourse by suggesting 10-minute quarters instead of the usual 12 — a suggestion that earned a decent amount of criticism.
“I try to read it all, frankly, and we try to absorb it at the league office,” Silver said during his annual news conference at All-Star Weekend inside Chase Center. “I think the state of the game is excellent. I think it’s the media’s role, the fans’ role, it’s perfectly appropriate to be critical of the game, and I find it very helpful. I’m not one of those people who said I don’t read criticism.”
How did we get here on All-Star Weekend and what did we miss?
Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung dunks over a car during the slam dunk contest at the NBA All-Star Saturday night festivities Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Nobody was beating Mac McClung in his three-peat bid.
The Magic G Leaguer was once again the runaway slam dunk contest winner for his third-straight title Saturday night in a performance for the ages. He started things with a dunk worthy of a closer and continued to wow with each successive dunk. Each of McClung’s dunks earned a perfect 50 score.
