2026 NBA All-Star Weekend: Participants, preview, predictions for every event

After the chaos that was the 2026 NBA trade deadline, fans, players, coaches, and front office members alike could use a break from the action. Everybody needs their basketball fix, though, so the NBA All-Star Weekend provides fans with a break in the day-to-day basketball action while still bringing the best hoopers in the world together for one big showcase. The All-Star Game itself, as well as the dunk contest, has caught some flak in recent years. The event might be revitalized with a brand-new format this year, though. With that said, here is a preview of All-Star Weekend, displaying what events are taking place when and with what athletes.

Friday, Feb. 13 All-Star events

Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game: 

When: 7 p.m. ET

Rosters:

• Keegan-Michael Key
• Badshah
• Mustard
• GloRilla
• Jeremy Lin
• Taylor Frankie Paul
• Nicolas Vansteenberghe
• Shams Charania
• Amon-Ra St. Brown
• Keenan Allen
• Cafu
• Cody Jones
• Jenna Bandy
• Adrien Nunez
• Tacko Fall
• Mat Ishbia
• Rick Schnall
• Rome Flynn
• Simu Liu
• Andre De Grasse
• Dylan Wang
• Jason Williams

Preview: The NBA All-Star Game is loaded with famous superstars. The Celebrity Game somehow trumps that. Icons from around the world, from different walks of life, will compete in a low-stakes, entertaining game of basketball. From ex-NBAers, to film stars, to reality influencers, the NBA Celebrity Game will likely feature a dose of pop culture for everyone. ESPN’s leading NBA insider, Sham Charania, will even be playing in the event, which will give a fun twist to the game that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be coaching. The two-time MVP will be joined on the coaching bench by his brothers, Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo, as well as Lethal Shooter, Mookie Betts, Anthony Anderson, and Chris Brickley.

Rising Stars G1: Team Melo vs. Team Austin:

When: 9 p.m. ET

Team Melo roster:

• Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
• Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
• Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
• Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
• Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
• Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
• Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors

Team Austin roster:

• Sean East II
• Ron Harper Jr.
• David Jones Garcia
• Yanic Konan Niederhauser
• Alijah Martin
• Tristen Newton
• Yang Hansen

Rising Stars G2: Team Vince vs. Team T-Mac:

When: 9:55 p.m. ET

Team Vince roster:

• VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
• Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
• Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards
• Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls
• Egor Demin, Brooklyn Nets
• Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
• Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies

Team T-Mac roster:

• Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
• Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat
• Tre Johnson, Washington Wizards
• Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards
• Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Cam Spencer, Memphis Grizzlies

Castrol Rising Stars Championship:

When: 10:35 p.m. ET

Preview: The Rising Stars Game is in tournament form these days. NBA legends Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady drafted three teams featuring the best rookies and sophomores in the NBA. A fourth team, comprising of the best G-League players this year, will round out the tournament. The G-League team, also known as Team Austin, is coached by Austin Rivers.

Prediction: Team Melo is stacked with talent and should come out on top.

NBA HBCU Classic Presented by AT&T:

When: 11 p.m. ET

Preview: In the NBA’s pursuit of supporting historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), the league will host a college basketball game during All-Star Weekend. The Hampton University Pirates will take on the North Carolina A&T Aggies.

Saturday, Feb. 14 All-Star events

NBA All-Star Media Day Presented by AT&T/Commissioner Adam Silver news conference:

When: 1:30 p.m. ET/4 p.m. ET

Preview: During media day, members of the press will interview All-Star players and Saturday night participants, asking them questions about both the events they are partaking in and the NBA season as a whole. Media will be followed by NBA commissioner Adam Silver giving a news conference on the state of the league.

State Farm 3-point Contest:

When: 5 p.m. ET

Participants:

• Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
• Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
• Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
• Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
• Bobby Portis Jr., Milwaukee Bucks
• Norman Powell, Miami Heat

Preview: The first event of NBA All-Star Saturday is the 3-point contest. The event is a two-round contest in which the best shooters in the league try to make as many shots from beyond the arc in 70 seconds as they can. The maximum score is 40 points. Damian Lillard is currently out for the season, but he will look to join Craig Hodges and Larry Bird as the only three-time 3-point contest winners ever.

Prediction: Kon Knueppel has revitalized the Charlotte Hornets. The rookie will continue making a name for himself by winning the 3-point Contest.

Kia Shooting Stars:

When: After the 3-point contest

Team All-Star roster:

• Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
• Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Richard Hamilton, NBA legend

Team Knicks roster:

• Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
• Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
• Allan Houston, NBA legend

Team Cameron roster:

• Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
• Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
• Corey Maggette, NBA legend

Team Harper roster:

• Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
• Ron Harper Jr., G-League
• Ron Harper Sr., NBA legend

Preview: An event not seen since 2015, the Shooting Stars Competition is back for the 2026 All-Star Weekend. The format will be slightly different from what it used to be, though. Four teams, each featuring two active players and one retired legend, will compete in a two-round event where each team has 70 seconds to score points from various locations on the court. There are seven designated shooting spots that each player must shoot at. The two teams with the most points at the end of round one will advance to the championship. The right lane layup/dunk, 18′ right baseline shot, right elbow shot, and the top of the key shot are each worth two points. The right wing 3-pointer and the left corner 3-pointer are both worth three points, and the long-range 3-point shot is worth four points.

Prediction: This is a shooting competition, so it helps that Team Knicks has one of the best big man shooters ever (Towns), one of the best 3-point shooters overall (Brunson), and a retired player who was a marksman during his playing days (Houston).

AT&T Slam Dunk Contest:

When: After Shooting Stars

Participants:

• Carter Bryant, San Antonio Spurs
• Jaxson Hayes, Los Angeles Lakers
• Keshad Johnson, Miami Heat
• Jase Richardson, Orlando Magic

Preview: After back-to-back-to-back victories by Mac McClung, the Slam Dunk Contest will have four new participants. Once viewed as the premier event of All-Star Weekend, the Dunk Contest has taken heat for a lack of star power and elite dunking showcases in recent years. Still, the aerial display has the potential to be special year in and year out.

Prediction: The Slam Dunk Contest has a bunch of unheralded leapers this year. Carter Bryant is best suited to win the event.

Sunday, Feb. 15 All-Star events

NBA G-League Next Up Game: 

When: 2:30 p.m. ET

Preview: A four-team tournament featuring exclusively G-League players who have excelled in the NBA’s developmental league will take place before the actual All-Star Game tournament.

All-Star G1: Stars vs. World: 

When: 5 p.m. ET

USA Stars roster:

• Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
• Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
• Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
• Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
• Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

World roster:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
• Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers
• Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
• Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets (injury replacement)
• Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
• Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (out for game)
• Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
• Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
• Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

All-Star G2: Stripes vs G1 winner:

When: 5:55 p.m. ET

USA Stripes roster:

• Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (out for game)
• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
• Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
• Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers (added by commissioner)
• Norman Powell, Miami Heat
• Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors (injury replacement)

All-Star G3: Stripes vs. G1 loser: 

When: 6:25 p.m. ET

All-Star Championship:

When: 7:10 p.m. ET

Preview: On the heels of the success that was the 4 Nations Face-Off in hockey, the NBA will be featuring a USA vs. The World format for the first time in All-Star history. Every year, 24 all-stars are elected, meaning there are two teams featuring American players, and a third team of superstars from around the world. They will play a round-robin tournament, with the top two teams moving on to compete in the All-Star Championship game.

Prediction: A lot of the players on Team Stripes are aging legends. Players like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James don’t have a lot of time left in their playing days. They’ve also been known to take it easy during the All-Star Game. However, in a USA vs. The World event, these veterans may just decide to turn it up. Curry is out for the event, but Team Stripes will still win the All-Star Game.

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