The newest iteration of the NBA All-Star Game is just around the corner, and for the first time, four teams will compete in a new format for their chance to win the inaugural All-Star Game tournament.
The 24 All-Stars selected by fans, players, and NBA media panel vote have been split evenly into three separate teams. These teams are led by the stars of “Inside the NBA” — and former NBA greats — Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith.
The fourth and final competing team will be the winning team of the annual Rising Stars challenge, which features NBA rookies, sophomores (second-year players), and NBA G-League standouts. WNBA legend Candace Parker will headline this team, with everyone participating vying for the $1.8 million prize pool.
2025 NBA All-Star Tournament Format
The opening round of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game tournament features Chuck’s Global Stars (led by Barkley) taking on Kenny’s Young Stars (led by Smith), while the other side of the bracket will be a matchup between Shaq’s OGs (led by O’Neal) and Candace’s Rising Stars (led by Parker).
TNT tonight revealed the semifinal matchups and team names for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game:
▪️ Chuck’s Global Stars vs. Kenny’s Young Stars▪️ Shaq’s OGs vs. Candace’s Rising Stars
The semifinal winners will advance to meet in the championship. For all three games of the… pic.twitter.com/GVRgLx1ChS
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 12, 2025
The breakdown of which stars are on which teams is fairly easy to guess based on the names of each team.
Chuck’s Global Stars features MVP favorites Shai-Gilgeous Alexander (Canada) and Nikola Jokić (Serbia), while Shaq’s OGs is a team full of star NBA veterans like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. Kenny’s Young Stars roster is highlighted by Cade Cunningham (the odds-on favorite for Most Improved Player, per VegasInsider), and one potential future face of the league in Anthony Edwards.
NBA All-Star weekend will kick off on Feb. 14 in San Francisco and will conclude on Feb. 16 when the tournament winner is decided. Festivities will be held at multiple locations between the Chase Center, Oakland Arena, and the Moscone Center.
Other events planned for All-Star Weekend include the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, NBA Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest, NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and Rising Stars challenge.
Some notable players competing in the Rising Stars challenge include Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, Scoot Henderson, Rookie of the Year favorite Stephon Castle, and college basketball legend and Memphis Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey.
Previous seasons saw the All-Star Game take a variety of formats. Until 2018, the best players from the Eastern and Western Conferences went head to head in a standard four-quarter game. Starting with the 2018 season, All-Star captains chose teams and faced off in a game that evolved to include rule changes like the Elam Ending (2020-2023).
While this new format may not be the end-all-be-all, at least the NBA is making strides to make it more enjoyable for fans. With each player on the winning team receiving $125,000, the players will have plenty of incentive to remain competitive.
