The NBA didn’t simply tweak its All-Star Recreation this yr. It rebuilt it. Sunday’s seventy fifth NBA All-Star Recreation at Intuit Dome scrapped the standard East vs. West setup in favor of a three-team, round-robin mini-tournament that includes USA Stars, USA Stripes, and Group World.
The idea got here with shorter 12-minute video games, altering opponents, and some moments the place even gamers admitted they had been nonetheless determining how the maths labored.
However a very powerful half — the half the NBA has been chasing for years — confirmed up: effort.
“I feel it was undoubtedly a step up within the aggressive division in comparison with final season,” Kevin Durant stated. “All three groups got here out and performed good ball.”
World Pleasure Made The Night time Really feel Greater
For Group World, the format wasn’t only a novelty. It gave the worldwide aspect a transparent id, and for some gamers it added actual which means past the standard exhibition vibe.
“It was superior. That’s what that is about,” Karl-Anthony Cities stated. “Yeah, that’s what that is about, man, with the ability to symbolize my mom’s nation, our nation, it’s an enormous honor. It’s most likely one in every of my favourite All-Star Video games I’ve been part of, to have the ability to have that flag on my jersey.”
Cities didn’t body the uptick in depth as unintended, both. He stated the strain from the skin world — followers, media, everybody — has been constructing, and gamers felt it.
“Yeah, I’ve been asking for it. Followers have been asking for it. Media have been asking for it,” Cities stated. “I really feel that after as we speak, I feel you all can see the competitors is there, and I feel that all of us introduced it as we speak, and a way of effort. I hope that the followers and all of you recognize it.”
Anthony Edwards wins MVP of the 2026 NBA All-Star sport!
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Deni Avdija, experiencing All-Star Weekend for the primary time, described the tempo as a grind. It wasn’t simply the video games — it was all the pieces round them.
“Initially, it was an extended weekend. I’m going to say that,” Avdija stated. “The primary sport was good, like we had an opportunity to heat up. The second sport, we simply went out on the court docket instantly. In order that was a bit of tough. However it was a aggressive sport. Individuals actually introduced it. I used to be blissful. I used to be simply enjoying, attempting to do the most effective I can. Yeah, that’s about it.”
He stated the sport nonetheless has limitations — unfamiliar lineups, completely different priorities — however the intent to compete was actual.
“For certain, I feel it was aggressive. Individuals actually introduced their effort and tried to play it laborious,” Avdija stated. “Some gamers took extra pictures than others, so you possibly can’t actually management that. , you’re simply on the market attempting to compete. We don’t play collectively on a regular basis. So we’re attempting to determine one another out. However we tried. Yeah, it was enjoyable.”
Victor Wembanyama Introduced Common-Season Vitality
The night time’s tone was set early, and gamers stored coming again to the identical title: Victor Wembanyama.
From the beginning, he performed like the sport mattered — scoring rapidly, contesting pictures, and reacting to errors the way in which he would in a standard NBA night time. He wasn’t attempting to “save” something, at the very least not in his personal thoughts. He was attempting to make it value watching.
“To make it extra enjoyable,” Wembanyama stated. “I feel it was fairly good. We bought a man like Kawhi going for 30, making each shot. No, it was a reasonably good show of basketball. Higher than final yr, for my part. It was enjoyable.”
When Group World gave up a late 3-pointer in additional time, he didn’t cover how a lot it bothered him.
“Yeah, it was our second time permitting a 3 once we shouldn’t have,” Wembanyama stated. “It’s the sport. It’s actually one quarter. I imply, I’d have anticipated us to be smarter proper right here, in order that was disappointing. Yeah, I feel being trustworthy with ourselves is nice. When it’s a sport we love, it’s a sport I personally cherish, so being aggressive is the least I can do.”
Ant: “I ain’t gonna lie. The ref kinda put the ball all the way in which in direction of him. He already 8 toes tall.”
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Anthony Edwards stated Wembanyama’s edge made it simpler for everybody else to comply with.
“Yeah, he set the tone, and it was undoubtedly aggressive with all three groups, I really feel like,” Edwards stated. “I really feel just like the previous heads performed laborious, too. They had been enjoying actual good protection. Yeah, he set the tone, man, and it woke me up, for certain.”
Kawhi Leonard Had The Second Of The Night time
If Wembanyama equipped the spark, Kawhi Leonard delivered essentially the most unforgettable stretch.
Leonard erupted for 31 factors in a 12-minute sport, turning the constructing into one thing nearer to a playoff environment than an All-Star setting. He appreciated that it occurred at dwelling — and that he was even there.
“It was nice. Blissful that Adam (Silver) let me in,” Leonard stated. “That’s what the house crowd wished to see. I’m glad I used to be in a position to do one thing in that sport.”
Leonard additionally admitted the format wasn’t all the time intuitive. Gamers weren’t strolling in with the identical rhythm as a standard four-quarter sport — and the standings math wasn’t precisely second nature.
“I feel it was good. Didn’t actually determine it out till we bought right here,” Leonard stated. “Whilst the sport’s happening, attempting to determine the data for being 2-1 and the way you play that out as nicely. Is it like by factors? What number of — level unfold or what?”
Nonetheless, his strategy didn’t change. If he’s on the court docket, he’s attempting to win possessions.
“Once I are available to play basketball, I’ve bought a technique,” Leonard stated. “Clearly, no person is attempting to get damage. I’m going to attempt to assault, attempt to get some pictures up. I don’t like individuals simply scoring on me. Don’t need to get crossed over like that. I strategy the sport as protection first after which see what offense comes.”
The Younger Group Took It Personally
Within the last, the USA Stars group flipped the night time into an announcement.
Edwards stated the motivation was easy: they’d misplaced earlier, thought they’d the win, and wished payback.
“It felt good,” Edwards stated. “Earlier than we walked out, Cade stated we bought to get our lick again. So we got here out and stomped on them.”
Tyrese Maxey framed the outcome with the sort of blunt locker-room honesty that matches an All-Star setting.
“I feel it was extra simply — I don’t know. We wished to play laborious,” Maxey stated. “It doesn’t matter what the format was, I got here in, I’m going to play some protection. I’ll rating after I can, however I need to play laborious, deliver power, get some steals, and have enjoyable.”
Devin Booker pointed to one thing small that mattered: the NBA front-loaded the obligations so Sunday might really feel extra like an actual sport day.
“NBA did job of us doing all our media and footage yesterday,” Booker stated. “So as we speak we might simply are available and correctly get our our bodies activated. I feel that was an enormous a part of it. I feel each workforce actually wished to win.”
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Edwards stated the win he loved most wasn’t the one over the veteran People. It was the one over Group World.
“In all probability beating the World workforce, yeah,” Edwards stated. “As a result of they are saying they’re the most effective gamers on this planet. So beating them is the most effective feeling on this planet.”
Some Stars Nonetheless Need East Vs. West Again
Even with the optimistic evaluations, there was nonetheless a well-recognized pull towards custom.
Leonard stated the NBA might return to the unique format — and now that gamers proved they will deliver extra focus, he believes the competitiveness might stick.
“I nonetheless assume going again to East vs. West shall be nice — I feel guys will compete nonetheless,” Leonard stated.
Durant was requested particularly about East vs. West in comparison with the brand new setup. He didn’t immediately marketing campaign for a change again, however he leaned into what mattered to him: the standard of play.
“I believed we performed nicely as we speak. All three groups got here out and performed good ball,” Durant stated. “The final one was robust. They hit loads of pictures. To see the greatness on the ground with the crimson workforce. I’m with the crimson workforce. I feel it was undoubtedly a step up within the aggressive division in comparison with final season.”
Wembanyama sounded open to both route transferring ahead.
“Yeah, I appreciated it. I appreciated it,” he stated. “I wouldn’t be in opposition to this format sooner or later, and I wouldn’t be in opposition to the common East versus West both.”
That’s the tradeoff the NBA now has to weigh. The match format delivered extra chunk — nevertheless it additionally created relaxation imbalances and moments of confusion that don’t exist in an easy sport.
Nonetheless, for one night time, the All-Star Recreation appeared like one thing nearer to actual basketball — and the gamers appeared like they knew it.
