NBA All-Star Weekend Delivers Fresh Energy, Big Performances and Questions for the Future
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LOS ANGELES — The NBA’s showcase event returned to Southern California with new stakes, new faces and an abundance of drama. By the time Team Stars routed veteran-laden Team Stripes in Sunday night’s championship game, four major themes had crystallized.
1. Revamped format sparks rare intensity
The league replaced its traditional East-West meeting with a U.S. vs. World bracket that finished in a best-of-three final. San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, 7-foot-4, embodied the heightened edge when he angrily left the court after a defensive lapse allowed Scottie Barnes to bury an overtime winner in the opening round. “It was our second time giving up a three we shouldn’t have,” Wembanyama said. “I expected us to be smarter.” Players argued calls, chased blocks and, for once, sweated through their jerseys — a sign, many observers felt, that the exhibition’s competitive pulse was back.
2. Anthony Edwards seizes MVP — and the spotlight
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards downplayed the new format Saturday, then dominated Sunday. The 24-year-old swung momentum with end-to-end steals, drained timely threes and carried the younger Stars past a tiring Stripes lineup to secure his first All-Star Most Valuable Player award. Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who guided Team Stars, praised Edwards’ relentless approach: “You love people who bring that energy every day.” Edwards’ résumé already includes consecutive conference-final trips, postseason wins over Nikola Jokić, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, and now an All-Star MVP.
3. Silver addresses tanking, hints at stiffer penalties
In his annual media availability, commissioner Adam Silver fielded questions about league expansion and possible franchise relocations, but the loudest buzz centered on tanking. With as many as 10 clubs openly prioritizing draft position, Silver said all remedies are on the table. League officials confirmed discussions about harsher fines, potential loss of draft picks and setting lottery odds earlier in the calendar. Eliminating the draft or staging a tournament among non-playoff teams has not progressed beyond brainstorming, according to sources. “You hurt them in the pocketbook,” one high-ranking executive said of repeat offenders.
4. Damian Lillard reclaims three-point crown
Eight months removed from rupturing an Achilles tendon, Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard returned to All-Star Saturday and captured his third three-point title, edging Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel. “It started off as kind of a joke,” Lillard said of his late entry. “Something opened up … I said I would do it, and the next day I was in.” The victory inspired Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry to announce he will enter the 2027 contest in Phoenix and attempt to recruit former teammate Klay Thompson.
From Wembanyama’s fiery competitiveness to Edwards’ breakout performance, plus Silver’s warnings on tanking and Lillard’s long-range heroics, Los Angeles produced one of the most consequential All-Star Weekends in recent memory.
Source: ESPN.com
