The NBA All-Star experience has been in decline over the years. What was once the height of the basketball season has significantly reduced in quality, leading to widespread scrutiny and calls to overhaul the entire event. This year, while the best is yet to come, the vibes have been pretty good since Friday’s slate of games.
Per longstanding tradition, the games began with a showdown between the celebrity teams. It wasn’t the most popular game of the night, but it featured a set of star-studded rosters that included actor Keegan-Michael Key, Suns owner Mat Ishbia, Dude Perfect co-founder Keenan Allen, and even former NBA big man Tacko Fall. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the coach for the winning side, beating Team Anthony 65-58. Rome Flynn was named MVP with 17 points.
Next came the Rising Stars tournament. For as much as the league has been scrutinized for the lack of competitive spirit, the young guys gave their all tonight in what turned out to be high-quality action on the court. There were three teams in this competition (Team Austin, Team Melo, and Team Vince), featuring players like Ron Harper Jr., Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Kon Knueppel, and Kel’el Ware, among others. In the end, Team Vince pulled off the clutch win, thanks to VJ Edgecombe, who was named Rising Stars MVP.
Fans reported an empty arena tonight, but All-Star Friday has always been relaxed compared to the dunk contest on Saturday and the main game on Sunday. Still, the players did a good job of giving the fans what they wanted to see: effort, passion, and execution. Those qualities delivered a positive experience, but there are three highlights in particular that tell the story of the night.
Coach Giannis Goes Viral
One of the most memorable bits of the night didn’t even have to do with the player participants. Rather, it came from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who acted as coach for his celebrity team. He’s very animated when he’s out there playing, and it somehow carried over to the sidelines in this meaningless game. It was cool to see Giannis so involved, and he was clearly having a good time out there playing a different role than usual.
“Quit trying to be like Wemby, be like Shaq!”
Giannis coaching up Tacko Fall as he subs him back in the game🤣
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 14, 2026
Giannis also had some special words for his old friend Shams Charania, who just so happened to be on his team today. He was trolling him all night with antagonistic comments, and Shams even shot him a dirty look in a clip that later went viral. Overall, Giannis has always been an interesting character, and he lived up to that reputation by being his own source of entertainment.
VJ Edgecombe Steals The Show
It’s been an inspiring season for the 76ers, and Edgecombe has been a huge reason why. With averages of 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 42.3% shooting from the field and 35.2% shooting from three, the rookie represented his season well today with a standout performance. Through two tournament games, he put up 23 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and zero blocks on 40.0% shooting from the field, including two game winners.
MVP V.J. EDGECOMBE!
V.J. hit both game winners for the Team Vince, leading them to the Rising Stars win! pic.twitter.com/ljjBAJ1k6v
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) February 14, 2026
In games that were competitive all the way through, Edgecombe outplayed everyone, just like he’s been doing all season. In the end, his strong showing was enough for him to win the MVP, and it’s fair to say he set the standard going forward. If he can just carry that momentum into the second half of the regular-season, it could set up the 76ers for a major run in the East. Until then, let it be known that Edgecombe will always play with maximum effort, whether it’s All-Star weekend or a must-win game in Philly.
Competitive Games All Around
We’ve seen the All-Star events change a lot over the years. From having team owners and former players in celebrity games to reworking the Rising Stars competition into a tournament, the NBA is clearly still experimenting, and it’s an active work in progress. What made today so encouraging is the quality and competitiveness of the games themselves. The Rising Stars game was pretty balanced and involved some good moments, decent plays, and positive vibes from both sides.
SEMIFINALS vs. Team T-Mac: W (41-36)
CHAMPIONSHIP vs. Team Melo: W (25-24)
Highlights from Team Vince en route to becoming the 2026 @CastrolUSA Rising Stars Champions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/OMdzTwSqJm
— NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2026
As usual, the Rising Stars competition set the bar even higher. They were playing to win out there, making plays on defense, showing an effort on the glass, and doing their part to create an interesting show. The result was a tournament that set the tone for the rest of the weekend. If the big names follow suit over the next two days, it will go a long way toward changing the current stigma of All-Star weekend.
