INGLEWOOD, Calif.—It's the USA vs. World. The 75th Annual All-Star Game came to Los Angeles and the timing was perfect for this new format, tying into the intense international competition going on across the globe in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Here's what you need to know from the night.
Takeaways from 2026 All-Star Game: USA vs World for the win
All anyone has wanted for years is a competitive All-Star Game. We're not talking NBA Finals intensity, but some defense and some effort, not just 3-pointers, dunks and matador defense.
We got that, in large part thanks to the USA vs. World format — that was the big winner of the night. After the game, MVP Anthony Edwards credited Victor Wembanyama for setting the tone in the first game of the night and forcing everyone to play at his level of energy.
"I think it was pretty good," Wembanyama said postgame. "We got a guy like Kawhi going for 30, making every shot. No, it was a pretty good display of basketball. Better than last year, in my opinion. It was fun."
The first three games were a lot of fun. The night's opener turned into a duel between Wembanyama and Edwards that went into overtime and had plenty of drama (and a Scottie Barnes game-winner). In the second game, Kawhi Leonard dropped 31.
Then in the third game, there was a dramatic ending capped off by a De'Aarron Fox 3-pointer.
Stephen Curry wasn't even playing (sore knee) and he was making plays.
Then there was LeBron James, not taking it easy in his 22nd All-Star Game.
This All-Star win by the NBA Stars team adds to the mountain of evidence that there is a changing of the guard in the NBA — in fact, it has already changed. We all saw last year's NBA Finals, with the young Thunder beating Tyrese Haliburton's Pacers without a LeBron, Durant or Curry in sight. For all the impressive moments from the old-guard,
playing their third game in a row (all 12-minutes, so like three quarters, but still), the OG Stripes team looked like a combination of a little tired and ready to get on with their vacation. Once the Stars raced out to the lead, it was over.
And Anthony Edwards rightfully gets a spot on top of the podium for a night.
Want to watch the Winter Olympics after All-Stars? Ask OLI!
After the All-Star Game: tune into Primetime tonight—and check out OLI for Olympic schedules + what to watch next.
Anthony Edwards named All-Star MVP
Anthony Edwards doesn't shy away from saying he wants to be the best in the NBA — and you don't get that title without an All-Star Game MVP award or two on the resume.
Edwards now has one, he was named All-Star MVP.
Edwards was consistent all night long — the leading scorer for the Stars in the first game, tied for the lead in the second game, and in the championship game he was just one point off the leading scorer. He was the one player on the Stars who made plays and put up numbers across all three games.
He was ready for the moment and grabbed it.
Young gun USA Stars win All-Star Championship
Add this to a growing list of proof — like last year's NBA Finals — that the torch has been passed on the court. Even if some fans haven't caught up with it yet.
The young gun USA Stripes team, led by Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey, made the championship game a laugher blowing out the OG USA Stars, 47-21.
In the championship game, Maxey had 9 points, with Edwards and Chet Holmgren with 8 each.
Young stars running away with title, up 26-9
Maybe the old guys got tired.
After the OG USA Stars squad won both of their round-robin games, they look a step slow in the title game and the USA Stars are out to a commanding 26-9 lead with 6:02 left.
Tyrese Maxey has nine points, Anthony Edwards eight for the Stars.
Young Stars race out to 12-1 lead
Tyrese Maxey scored a quick seven points and the young Stars have raced out to a fast 12-1 lead with 9:24 left in the game.
Plenty of time for the Stars to mount a comeback... if they want it and start playing some defense.
Limited Luka
Luka Doncic did return to the court for the NBA All-Star Game, but he played just five minutes in the opener and did not see the court in the second game.
Doncic had missed the Lakers' last four games with a hamstring injury, and he was clearly taking it slow and easing his way back into playing again.
Stripes vs. Stars championship game underway
Twelve minutes to determine a champion on a night everyone has played pretty hard and we have seen some defense.
Devin Booker with a 3 and Tyrese Maxey with a layup have the Stars off to a fast 5-0 lead.
Are you kidding me?! Leonard hits game-winner 3, scores 31
The old-head USA Stripes are on to the All-Star Championship Game and they can thank Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard scored 31 on 11-of-13 shooting — 6-of-7 from 3 — and hit the game-winning step back 3 over 7-footer Karl-Anthony Towns.
The old-head Stripes advanced to the All-Star Championship Game against the young-gun USA Stars.
Victor Wembanyama lived up to his promise to play hard and had 19 in this loss for the World Team, but he and his teammtes just ran into the home cooking of Leonard.
Kawhi Leonard scores 11 straight, puts Stripes in lead
There has been some home cooking from Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard scored 11 straight points for the Stripes — three 3-pointers and a beautiful stepback — and it's 31-29 Stripes as they try to advance to the Finals. He has 17 points in the game, 5-of-5 from 3 and 7-of-7 overall.
World leads stripes 27-20
The World Team knows if it wants to advance to the Finals it not only has to win, it has to win by at least three to get into the Finals on point differential.
So far, they are doing that behind 11 points from Victor Wembanyama (the best player on the court today so far), and the World leads 27-20 with 6:45 left. Kawhi Leonard and Jalen Brunson each have eight for the Stripes.
Stripes vs. World underway
The final game of the round-robin is underway — if the Stripes win they advance to the championship game, if the World wins its a three-way tie and comes down to point differential.
The game opens with Kawhi Leonard and Karl-Anthony Towns trading 3s.
De’Aaron Fox game-winning 3 at buzzer wins for Stripes
In a game with a lot more scoring, it looked as if Anthony Edwards might steal it for the USA Stars with a steal and 3-pointer to put the young guns up 40-39.
Then the old-head stripes came down, put the ball in LeBron's hands, he found Donovan Mitchell on the back-cut, and he whipped the ball out to the arc and De'Aaron Fox, who side-stepped the close-out and drained the game-winning 3-pointer.
Jaylen Brown led the Stripes with 11 points, while LeBron had eight and a couple of key, deep 3-pointers. Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards had 11 each for the Stars.
The Stars finish the round-robin 1-1. The Stars (1-0) now face the World (0-1) in the last game of the round robin (if all teams are tied 1-1 it comes down to point differential).
Stripes lead Stars 19-15
There has been a fast pace and some defense early in the second game of the day, and the OG USA Stripes are off to a 19-15 lead behind five points each from LeBron James (getting some boos from Clippers fans) and Kevin Durant.
Jalen Duren is getting loose inside for the Stars and has an early 7 points.
There is actual defense being played
For the first time since at least 2020 in Chicago (and that was only for a stretch at the end), there is actual defense being played in the NBA All-Star Game. Not elite defense, but guys are actually trying.
The best evidence was this block by Victor Wembanyama — look at how much ground he had to cover to make this play.
USA Stripes vs USA Stars underway
The second game of the night, between the two USA sides — the young stars and the OG Stripes — is underway.
It started with a Kevin Durant 3-pointer, followed by an Anthony Edwards bucket.
Scottie Barnes 3-pointer wins it for USA Stars
An overtime to five is a great tactical experiment because if you have shooters, that is two trips up and down the court.
The USA Stars struck first with an Anthony Edwards bucket, giving him 13 for the game. Then on the other end, Victor Wembanyama drained a 3 — giving him 14 points for the game — and it was on. The USA knew it needed a 3, and it got one late in the shot clock from Scottie Barnes.
With the win, the USA is 1-0, while the World is 0-1. Next up, it's the young USA Stars against the OG players on the USA Stripes.
We have overtime!
It's one game, but we got actual defense and intensity in the first game of the night — and we have overtime.
An Anthony Edwards 3-pointer tied the score with 12 seconds left and the USA Stars played good defense and forced a desperation Norman Powell heave to win it for the World Team and he missed.
Overtime rules: First Team to 5. It's that simple.
Barack Obama making plays courtside
The loudest ovation of the night — by far — was when they introduced the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.
Obama isn't just sitting courtside and chilling, he's intercepting passes.
World pulling away, up 26-17 with 4:31 left
A couple of deep 3-pointers by Karl-Anthony Towns has the World team pulling away from the young USA Stars, putting them up nine with 4:31 left.
Still, the USA Stars are making some hustle plays.
This Bob Costas intro was powerful
Bob Costas did the introduction for the return of the All-Star Game to NBC, and it was powerful.
Clippers fans booing Laker Doncic
This is the Clippers building, and "The Swell" — the always standing, always cheering college-style fans in Intuit — will not let the Lakers players forget that.
They are booing Luka Doncic every time he touches the ball. He seems to think it's pretty funny.
Wemby has seven early points, Anthony Edwards eight, and it's 15-12 young USA Star with 6:55 left in the game.
First Game: Young USA Stars vs. World
And the 2026 NBA All-Star Game is underway.
And the first bucket was a Victor Wembanyama dunk over Anthony Edwards. Next trip down was a Wemby 3. He is bringing it to start.
Roundball Rock —LIVE!
John Tesh was on the court and played a live rendition of his legendary song that has been synonymous with the NBA on NBC. And he killed it.
Edwards tells Wembanyama he’s guarding him
When the USA Stars and World Team play, the logical play would be to have Chet Holmgren matched up on Victor Wembanyama — but Anthony Edwards let Wemby know he's going to guard him.
Ant is a physical, elite defender but he's giving up a few inches... well, more than a few inches in that matchup.
Watch Stephen Curry hit shot from NBA Showtime desk
Stephen Curry was voted a starter by the fans but is sitting out this All-Star Game to rest his sore knee. That doesn't mean he's lost his touch.
Wembanyama not shedding a tear over LeBron’s retirement
Whether this year is LeBron's final All-Star Game because he decides to retire is something he says even he doesn't know — "When I know, you guys will know. I don't know," LeBron said Sunday.
Will Victor Wembanyama shed a tear when LeBron retires?
"No," Wemby said with a laugh. "You asked me to be honest. I'm not going to shed a tear, but it is going to be very weird, for sure."
Wembanyama had plenty of praise for LeBron, too.
"I think there are many things to take from him," Wembanyama said. "I've never had the chance to spend time with him, to have a full discussion, but I would love to. I don't know how many millions of basketball players are on earth, and all of them can learn something from LeBron."
What Jalen Brunson learned last playoffs
For the first time in 25 years, the Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Owner James Dolan has set the bar for this season at Finals or bust. No pressure. What did Brunson take away from last playoffs that can carry over to this year's run?
"Never looking ahead. You never want to look ahead," Brunson said. "You want to focus on the task in front of you. I think most importantly, after last year, you can't just jump right back into where we were. You have to start the journey all over again. Taking one day at a time, taking it a step-by-step process, not focusing on down the road. Just focus on being present."
One thing that could make this year's Knicks postseason run more difficult is Boston getting Jayson Tatum back. While that is not official yet, Brunson is happy for him, even if it's a rougher road for New York.
"Obviously seeing him go down last year, it sucks to see. You never want to see that from anyone in any sport," Brunson said. "The fact that he's worked so hard to get where he is and is preparing a comeback is a testament to who he is."
Three players to watch as potetial MVPs
There are no "sleepers," no under-the-radar players on Sunday — every player is an All-Star, voted in by fans or hand-picked by coaches. Every player is one of the best in the NBA.
While the most likely MVPs are the biggest names — Victor Wembanyama or Kevin Durant, for example — here are three other names to watch:
Kawhi Leonard: The player with a home court advantage is always someone to keep an eye on. It doesn't hurt that Leonard has played as anyone in the NBA since Dec. 1, averaging 27.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, shooting 38.3% from 3-point range. The fans on the Wall will bring the energy for him. If Kawhi decides he wants to win it, he can do just that.
Deni Avdija: A lot of fans have not seen Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers, but his game fits what could thrive in the All-Star Game — he leads the league in drives per game. He's averaging 25.2 points, 7,2 rebounds and 6.6 assists a game, and the Israeli national could be the straw that stirs the drink on a really deep World roster.
Scottie Barnes: Another player a lot of fans may not have seen, but Barnes has been brilliant this season for a surprisingly good Raptors team. Barnes is a guy who can do a little bit of everything but does it well, averaging 19.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. If his shot is falling, he is a guy who can find his way to a big night.
LeBron on his future: “I want to live”
There was next to zero chance LeBron James was going to announce his plans for next season at the All-Star Game, but when asked, this was not the answer anyone was expecting.
"I mean, I want to live. When I know, you guys will know. I don't know," LeBron said. "I have no idea. I just want to live. That's all."
LeBron effortlessly dodged every question about his future, saying he was just focused on this season and that the Lakers needed to get healthy.
"When we've played some of our best basketball of the season, we've looked very good," LeBron said. "On the other side, when we've been terrible, we've looked disgusting. So, I think the most important is, if we can get healthy, how many minutes we can be on the floor, how much chemistry we can build with this sprint starting [to the end of the season]."
As for this year's USA vs. World All-Star format, LeBron is a traditionalist.
"I mean, East-West is definitely a tradition. It's been really good," LeBron said. "Obviously, I like the East and West format. They're trying something. We'll see what happens... East-West is great. We'll see what happens with this."
Luka Doncic will play for World
Lakers star Luka Doncic missed the team's last four games with a hamstring injury, but he will play on Sunday in the All-Star Game.
"I feel pretty good. You know, I've been working to get back," Doncic said on Saturday. "Obviously, I wanted to play the last [Lakers] game, but it wasn't possible. I was almost there, so I think I'll play a little bit."
Doncic was the leading vote getter in the Western Conference and will start for the World Team. Expect coach Darko Rajakovic (of the Toronto Raptors) to keep his minutes down. Even if this game is competitive, it's not the stress load of a normal NBA game, so it's a good way for Doncic to ease back in.
USA vs. World format
The format for the USA vs. the World is necessarily unique.
Three teams of eight (or nine for the World) will compete in a round-robin format, culminating in a championship game. Those teams are:
USA Stars: Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey
USA Stripes: Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, De'Aaron Fox
World Team: Deni Avdija, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Alperen Sengun, Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Wembanyama, Norman Powell
(Note: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were voted in as starters by the fans but are out due to injuries. They have been replaced on the rosters.)
Those three teams will play in a round-robin tournament, with the games being 12 minutes (one NBA quarter):
Game 1: USA Stars (younger) vs. World
Game 2: Winner of Game 1 vs. USA Stripes (older)
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. USA Stripes
Game 4: Championship game featuring top two teams from first rounds.
(If teams are tied, it comes down to point differential.)
After it ends, the champions will celebrate on the court and the MVP will be named.
How to watch the 2026 NBA All-Star Game:
When: Sunday, February 15
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA
Time: 5:00 PM ET
Live Stream: NBC and Peacock
After the game, stay tuned wherever you are for live Olympics coverage from Milan and Cortina, and if you have any questions about how to watch, just ask Oli!
