With a wild trade deadline in the books, the NBA shifts its focus to this year’s All-Star Weekend. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, who has been busy building chemistry with new teammate Jimmy Butler, turns his attention to playing host at the weekend’s festivities in San Francisco. Curry will play alongside Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Phoenix Suns‘ Kevin Durant on Team Shaq. The trio shined on the Olympic stage in August as they led Team USA to a gold medal over Team France.
Victor Wembanyama has a chance to get his revenge Sunday, however, as he leads his fellow international stars, including MVP front-runners Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, on Team Chuck.
Wembanyama will also take the court Saturday night, alongside San Antonio Spurs teammate and 12-time All-Star Chris Paul in the skills challenge. Saturday will also feature a pair of attempted three-peats as Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard tries to win his third straight 3-point competition while Mac McClung goes for his third dunk contest crown.
Here’s everything to know about the star-studded events, including who our experts think will come out on top.
Expert picks were voted on by a panel of NBA insiders including Chris Herring, Marc Spears, Michael C. Wright, Ramona Shelburne, Kevin Pelton, Dave McMenamin, Baxter Holmes, Ohm Youngmisuk, Tim MacMahon, Jeremy Woo and Bobby Marks.
Rising Stars | Skills challenge | 3-point contest
Slam dunk contest | All-Star tournament
Edey, Castle, Knecht! The Rising Stars are here to play
Friday, 9 p.m. ET (TNT)
The league’s Rising Stars have a little something extra to play for this year. With the new All-Star Weekend format, the best of the four rising stars teams will earn a spot in Sunday’s four-team tournament alongside this year’s All-Stars.
The Golden State Warriors’ Hall of Fame trio Run TMC will reunite in the Bay with Team T being coached by Tim Hardaway, Team M coached by Mitch Richmond and Team C coached by Chris Mullin, while Jeremy Lin will coach Team G League.
The action starts at 9:15 p.m. ET with Team C vs. Team T and continues at 9:55 with Team G League vs. Team M.
Which of these teams will earn a spot in Sunday’s tourney and give the All-Stars a run for their money?
Game 1: Team C vs. Team T
Game 2: Team G League vs. Team M
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
The winner of Game 3 will play in the All-Star mini-tournament Sunday
🌟 The 2025 #CastrolRisingStars rosters! 🌟
📅 Friday, 2/14 at 9:00pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/sj8YUw4IWv
— NBA (@NBA) February 4, 2025
This one is always tricky to peg on paper, but I’m personally excited to see the notoriously competitive twins Ausar Thompson and Amen Thompson reunite as teammates in this setting on Team M. Team T also looks strong, led by several quality sophomores such as Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Brandin Podziemski. While Team C isn’t as loaded on paper as the other two, it’s possible Zach Edey just takes over for the squad. And I’m curious to see Reed Sheppard, who has been waiting his turn for the Houston Rockets as an ostensible ringer for Team G League. — Jeremy Woo
Expert pick: Team M
Celebrity takeover!
Friday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens returns to the game, but this time on the basketball court, and it won’t be surprising if the former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver shows out. Owens, 51, last appeared in the All-Star celebrity game in 2010 but is best known for his off-the-backboard alley-oop dunk in 2009 from a Harlem Globetrotter. This time he’ll be a few years older and going up against some young competition such as streamer Kai Cenat. Cenat advertised his appearance in 2024 with a mock basketball mixtape, but played sparingly in the actual game under coach Shannon Sharpe. This time around, coached by baseball legend Barry Bonds and rapper 2 Chainz, he’ll look to bounce back. However, in his way is comedian Druski, who has advertised his matchup against the internet star as “Kai vs. Druski”. It’s a one-on-one matchup worth watching. — Anthony Gharib
Tandem team-ups, high-flying dunks and a Dame three-peat?
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
The night kicks off with the skills competition, which features some formidable duos. Draymond Green and Moses Moody will represent the home team in the competition. Like the Warriors, the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers will be represented by a veteran and newcomer in Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. Victor Wembanyama makes his All-Star Weekend debut alongside one of the most skilled point guards of all time in Chris Paul. It’ll prove tough competition for Team Rooks, Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr.
Oakland’s own Damian Lillard will compete in this year’s 3-point competition. A win would give Lillard a record-tying three straight wins in the event. And speaking of three-peats, two-time defending champ Mac McClung is looking for one of his own to close the night out.
Which dynamic duo will dominate the skills competition, and what do they bring to the table together?
Team Cavs (Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley)
It’s fitting that Mitchell and Mobley are a tandem. New Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson altered the rotation from previous seasons to always pair Mobley with Mitchell, who had been attached to Jarrett Allen under previous coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The idea was to attempt to accelerate Mobley’s evolution. It has worked, which is why Mobley has proved enough this season to stick around for the Sunday showcase. — Tim MacMahon
Team Rooks (Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher)
The top two picks from the 2024 NBA draft are teaming up. The two Frenchmen have not come into the league as heralded as previous top selections, but both have had flashes of success this season. Risacher has scored 30 points in separate games, one of only two rookies (along with Jared McCain) to do so in 2024-25, while Sarr leads all rookies in blocks (1.6 per game). A strong showing in the skills competition and during Friday’s Rising Stars challenge could help introduce these rookies to a more national audience. — Jamal Collier
Team Spurs (Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama)
They’ve spent all season up to this point working to improve their chemistry, but the skills competition presents a different challenge from figuring out how to attack opponents in screen-and-roll scenarios. The upshot is that both Paul and Wembanyama are not just skilled ball handlers but also gifted passers. Strictly from the standpoint of skill sets, Paul and Wembanyama should be favored to win this thing handily. — Michael Wright
Team Warriors (Draymond Green and Moses Moody)
Green just recently returned from a calf injury that cost him seven straight games. And one game prior to that absence, he had missed three games due to illness and a back issue. Green has been back for six straight games and should be fun to watch in the skills competition with his versatility. Moody has seen an uptick in minutes since Jonathan Kuminga went down with a sprained ankle Jan. 4. During a 13-game stretch, Moody scored in double figures in 11 of them. In that same span, Moody hit three or more 3-pointers in seven games. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Expert pick: Team Spurs
Dame time! What will it take for the Bay Area native to three-peat from 3?
Growing up across the Bay Bridge in Oakland, Damian Lillard fondly recalled attending All-Star weekend in 2000 as a kid and called it a full-circle moment to be back in the Bay Area for this one. But he’s also no stranger to this event and the pressure that comes with defending his 3-point crown. The rest of the field might want to hope Lillard is distracted by a weekend of home cooking, but players such as Jalen Brunson (39.7% from 3) and Tyler Herro (38.8%) are going to be tough competition. — Collier
Expert pick: Lillard
Jumping over cars or Shaq? Bold predictions for this year’s bounciest competition?
I’m not sure whether San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle has the deep bag of creative tricks required to win the dunk contest, but he has the hops — no doubt about that. I’ve seen seasoned scouts gasp at some of Castle’s thunderous two-handed dunks in traffic given reason to believe that he can emerge to make a surprise impact on this year’s event. — MacMahon
Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Harold “Baby Jordan” Miner, Jason Richardson, Nate Robinson and Zach LaVine. Those are the names of all the legendary dunkers who have won the dunk contest at least twice. And Mac McClung will try to do something none of them have done: three-peat. Only Robinson has won the title three times — but never three in a row. McClung is ready to make history Saturday night. — Youngmisuk
Before the Spurs hit the road for their annual rodeo road trip, Castle was seen at the team’s Victory Capital Performance Center putting in plenty of work in preparation for the event. When Wembanyama talks about wanting to see Castle “go crazy” at the dunk contest, pay close attention. Just imagine a scenario in which Castle attempts to sky over the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama with Paul sitting on the French phenom’s shoulders. It could happen. — Wright
I think we’ll get one or two very creative dunks this year that will be worth checking out. Milwaukee’s Andre Jackson Jr. had his entire head above the rim on a putback dunk attempt last season and that moment is still etched into my memory. Also, watch for Chicago rookie Matas Buzelis, who was working with LaVine on ideas before LaVine was traded earlier this month. — Collier
The days of McClung are over. After seeing him win it two straight years, there’s nothing new he can do. I am going to go with Castle. I heard rumblings of his behind-the-scenes practice for this competition and I am sure he will do something to include Wembanyama. There is a new sheriff in the dunk contest, and he’s from San Antonio. — Marc Spears
Expert pick: McClung
OGs vs. up-and-coming? International vs. homegrown? What to watch in the All-Star game
Sunday, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Another format change has been introduced to All-Star Weekend, with four teams of eight players going head-to-head in a mini-tournament.
Chuck’s Global Stars, Shaq’s OGs, Kenny’s Young Stars and Candace’s Rising Stars will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million, but also on the line is All-Star MVP, claimed by Damian Lillard last year.
Kenny’s Young Stars will face off against Chuck’s Global stars in the first game, followed by Shaq’s OGs against Candace’s Rising Stars. The first team to 40 points will advance to the championship game.
Game 1: Kenny’s Young Stars vs. Chuck’s Global Stars
Game 2: Shaq’s OGs vs. Candace’s Rising Stars
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
A crop of stars from around the world. A new generation taking the league by storm. All-time greats & OGs doing work. 🌟🍿
Presenting the new team names for our #NBAAllStar squads! Watch them battle it out in The Bay on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 8:00pm/et on TNT. pic.twitter.com/5EnOmCjXvo
— NBA (@NBA) February 12, 2025
Kenny’s Young Stars
The young stars have a roster full of players with something to prove and I’ll always be watching Anthony Edwards. At last year’s All-Star Weekend, he vowed to shoot left-handed, doing so in the skills competition raising some eyebrows. This time around, with Team Shaq made up of old-guard players, he’ll have something to prove. He’s the player most likely to get his competitive juices going and try to show out to win MVP. — Collier
Shaq’s OGs
Can LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant keep the good times rolling? That future Hall of Fame trio had a remarkable run together while leading Team USA to gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The three players have a barrage of accolades under their belts, and their collective seven MVP awards should stand for something. Oh, and reigning Finals champion Jayson Tatum is on this team, too. Steve Kerr isn’t coaching, so Tatum shouldn’t have to worry about whether he’s in the rotation. — MacMahon
Chuck’s Global Stars
There’s a reason we haven’t seen an American player win a regular-season MVP since 2018 (James Harden). The international players have staked a claim to hoops dominance over the years. And when you’ve got an international star such as Wembanyama saying that he doesn’t “have any interest in making friends,” at the NBA All-Star Game, you can expect a serious approach from a team led by a three-time MVP (Nikola Jokic) and one of the favorites (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) to win this year’s award. — Wright
Candace’s Rising Stars
One 2024 NBA All-Star told me that the All-Star players have everything to lose and nothing to gain from playing the Rising Stars team this year, adding that it would be quite embarrassing for the young players to win the weekend. I’m worried that this could end up true, with the All-Stars appearing to care less and less about the game. So here we are. — Spears
Expert pick: Shaq’s OGs