After a whirlwind 48 hours of NBA All-Star weekend in the Bay Area, we have arrived at the main event: Sunday’s All-Star Game tournament.
The league, after several tweaks to the game’s format in recent years, has landed on a new setup. Four teams of eight players each will compete Sunday night for the All-Star crown.
Charles Barkley’s “Global Stars” will face Kenny Smith’s “Young Stars” in the night’s first game, set to tip at 5:20 p.m. Then Shaquille O’Neal’s “OGs” will play Candace Parker’s “Rising Stars” — the winning team from Friday’s Rising Stars game.
The winners of those two semifinal games will compete in the title game. All games will be played to 40 points, keeping things moving and avoiding the 200-point scorelines we have seen in recent All-Star Games.
Stephen Curry is on O’Neal’s team alongside former Warriors teammate Kevin Durant (now with the Suns), longtime postseason foe LeBron James (Lakers) and Cal product Jaylen Brown (Celtics). James announced Sunday in a pregame press conference that the would miss the event with ankle and foot discomfort.
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Barkley’s global team features reigning MVP Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), 2025 MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and sophomore sensation Victor Wembanyama (Spurs). Smith’s roster includes former Santa Clara star Jalen Williams (Thunder), all-world athlete Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) and offensive dynamo Jalen Brunson (Knicks).
Follow along below for the latest updates, sights and sounds from the All-Star Game tournament…
