2026 NBA All-Star weekend outlook: Slam dunks, athletes, and additional events
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is set to commence at Intuit Dome near Los Angeles on Friday, featuring a host of superstar athletes arriving in Tinseltown for an action-packed weekend.
The Rising Stars showcase will kick off the festivities on Friday, showcasing some of the league’s emerging talents. With the No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg out for the All-Star break due to injury, Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel will lead the young group.
On Saturday, the league’s elite players will showcase their abilities in the 3-point shootout, shooting stars competition, and slam dunk contest. Notably, Damian Lillard will compete in the 3-point contest despite an Achilles injury that has sidelined him for the entire season. The two-time 3-point champion will face off against Donovan Mitchell, who leads the league in 3-pointers made, along with other sharpshooters like Tyrese Maxey and Devin Booker.
On Sunday, three star-studded teams will compete in a new format that pits American players against international players. Will Victor Wembanyama guide Team World to victory against Kevin Durant and Team Stripes? Or will Anthony Edwards lead Team Stars to triumph?
Our NBA insiders have provided a preview of what to expect during the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend, including their predictions for each event.
Expert selections were made by a panel of NBA insiders.
Rising Stars | Saturday skills | USA vs. World tournament
Knueppel and Queen usher in the next wave of Rising Stars
Friday, 9 p.m. ET (Peacock)
This event will miss Cooper Flagg, who is out with a foot sprain, preventing the 2025 No. 1 pick from participating throughout the weekend. Nevertheless, the game will still highlight the strong 2025 draft class, featuring Kon Knueppel, Dylan Harper, and VJ Edgecombe on different teams. Reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and Alex Sarr are among the notable second-year players taking part. Initially, I would have favored Flagg’s team to win the mini-tournament, but with his absence, I will choose Team Vince, which includes Edgecombe, Derik Queen, and Matas Buzelis. Regardless of the outcome, I doubt history will remember this decision. — Jeremy Woo
Game 1: Team Melo vs. Team Austin
Game 2: Team Vince vs. Team T-Mac
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Expert picks: Team Melo
Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady drafted their seven-player teams tonight for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars, selecting from a pool of 21 NBA rookies and sophomores.
Austin Rivers will serve as the honorary coach for the NBA G League team.
Complete rosters β¬οΈ pic.twitter.com/rb27MzX30b
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 28, 2026
Celebrity takeover!
Friday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The celebrity game returns with recognizable faces on the court, but this year features the participation of two current NBA governors — Mat Ishbia of the Phoenix Suns and Rick Schnall of the Charlotte Hornets, who have a combined age of 103.
However, history indicates that in the celebrity game, age is merely a number. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Arne Duncan frequently participated while in his late 40s and early 50s (he won MVP in 2014 at 49).
NFL star wide receivers Keenan Allen and Amon-Ra St. Brown will also take the court, along with ESPN’s own NBA insider Shams Charania. Fortunately, the trade deadline has passed, allowing Charania to participate without distractions. — Anthony Gharib
Introducing the 2026 @NBAAllStar #RufflesCelebGame rosters
π Friday, Feb. 13 | 7p ET | ESPN
More: https://t.co/wCR9iDfnJB pic.twitter.com/RMttC7dOmg
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 3, 2026
Legendary team-ups, high-flying dunks and Dame Time for All-Star Saturday
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
Can Spida spoil Dame Time?
Any of the eight participants in the 3-point contest could heat up and achieve the winning score. However, based on each contestant’s 3-point percentage on open shots this season, the favorites appear to be Donovan Mitchell (50% on open 3s), Norman Powell (49%), and Jamal Murray (48%). Bobby Portis, Kon Knueppel, and Tyrese Maxey are in the lower 40s, while Devin Booker is at 31%.
The eighth contestant is the wild card: Damian Lillard has not played an NBA game since suffering an Achilles injury in the 2025 postseason. Nevertheless, Lillard won this event in 2023 and 2024, and he could become the first three-time winner in the 21st century. (Larry Bird and Craig Hodges each won three times in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively.) — Zach Kram
Expert picks: Damian Lillard
π 2026 @StateFarm 3-Point Contest field! π
NBA All-Star Saturday: 2/14, 5:00pm/et on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/MQnCVh1UtA
— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2026
New faces and a family affair for the dunk contest
This year’s dunk contest may not feature the most star-studded lineup in its history, as three of the four contestants have rarely dunked in NBA games. Jaxson Hayes, a seven-year veteran, has his share of dunks from the center position, but second-year forward Keshad Johnson and rookies Carter Bryant and Jase Richardson have recorded single-digit dunk totals this season.
At least there is a connection to star lineage in this group. Richardson’s father is Jason Richardson, who won back-to-back dunk contest titles in 2002 and 2003 — several years before Jase was born. — Kram
Expert picks: Keshad Johnson
When you wish upon a shooting star(s)
In lieu of the skills challenge, the NBA is reintroducing the shooting stars competition, which previously ran from 2004 to 2015 and featured three-person teams: a current NBA player, an NBA legend, and a WNBA player.
This year’s competition will not include a WNBA player, with a second current player joining the three-man teams instead. Two notable aspects of this year’s teams are Team Harper — featuring Ron Harper as the NBA legend and Dylan and Ron Jr. as the current NBA players — which adds a compelling family dynamic, while first-time All-Star Jalen Johnson’s inclusion on Team Cameron is ironic, considering Johnson controversially departed Duke University mid-freshman season to prepare for the draft. — Kram
Expert picks: Team Knicks
π The 2026 @Kia Shooting Stars teams! π
NBA All-Star Saturday: 2/14, 5:00pm/et on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/WeZwcVSDNg
— NBA (@NBA) February 7, 2026
International vs. homegrown? What to watch in the All-Star game
Sunday, 5 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
In its latest effort to revitalize the NBA’s midseason showcase, the league is adopting a Team USA versus The World format, drawing inspiration from NBC’s Olympic coverage. Unfortunately, the three-team round-robin tournament has already lost some key players, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Stephen Curry ruled out for the All-Star Game, with more potential absences to come.
Nonetheless, there remains some optimism that this format could lead to intriguing moments this weekend. The World roster includes only one guard (Jamal Murray), who is also the only player under 6-foot-8. This may also mark LeBron James’ final All-Star appearance, so he might be motivated to perform at a high level. Regardless, it will serve as another assessment of Adam Silver’s ongoing efforts to make the event more competitive and engaging. — Tim Bontemps
Game 1: Stars vs. World
Game 2: Stripes vs. Game 1 winner
Game 3: Stripes vs. Game 1 loser
Game 4: All-Star Championship
Expert picks: Team World
πΊπΈ USA STARS. USA STRIPES. WORLD. π
The updated 2026 NBA All-Star Game Rosters!
The three teams will compete in a round-robin tournament with the top two teams advancing to the championship game.
π Sunday, Feb. 15, 5pm/et, NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/sgNVMa2FG2
— NBA (@NBA) February 11, 2026
