Stephen Curry leads OGs to title, wins All-Star Game MVP
SAN FRANCISCO — The NBA’s refreshed All-Star Game format finished with a familiar result for Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry: being presented with the Kobe Bryant Trophy as the All-Star MVP.
Curry scored 12 points in Team OGs’ 41-25 victory Sunday in the first-to-40 finale against the Global Stars, to win the league’s new round-robin tournament to cap of the festivities.
With Team OGs, coached by Shaquille O’Neal, up 23-15 in the championship game, Curry showed off his otherworldly shooting range by hitting a 3 from half court. It put his group up by double digits and ignited the Chase Center crowd, which cheered on their hometown star. With no clear-cut MVP for the night until Curry’s half-court heave, the guard’s teammates kept feeding him the ball — encouraging the league’s all-time 3-point leader to keep shooting — and he delivered two more 3s to give his team an overwhelming 39-21 lead.
Jayson Tatum finished it off with a dunk to hit the target score and bring his scoring total to 15 points.
“It was one of those little flurries, just having fun,” Curry said of his 3-point barrage. “The half-court shot, I was going to take one at some point. [Nikola] Jokic was picking me up at half court, which was hilarious.”
And the All-Star Game, which recently had been become a bit of a joke, with both teams combining to score 397 points in Indianapolis last year in a contest devoid of much competitive spirit, inched closer back toward respectability.
“I think it was a good step in the right direction to reinvigorate the game in some way,” Curry said of the format, which split the 12 Eastern Conference and 12 Western Conference All-Stars into teams of eight, going against a fourth team comprising eight first- and second-year players who won the Rising Stars game Friday night.
Curry received 12 of the 14 votes for MVP, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tatum receiving one apiece. It was the second All-Star MVP of Curry’s career. He won it in Cleveland in 2022, scoring 50 points (while shooting 16-for-27 from the 3-point line) to earn Team LeBron a 163-160 victory over Team Durant.
Curry acknowledged the new structure of the game is not conducive for an obvious MVP candidate to stand out.
“The format doesn’t allow for, like, a strong storyline to build,” Curry said.
Through the semifinal games, Gilgeous-Alexander — who scored 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting, including a clinching dunk to beat the Young Stars team 41-32 — was the lead MVP contender for the Global Stars. And Damian Lillard — who scored nine points on 3-for-5 shooting and ended it on a 27-foot pull-up 3 to win 42-35 over the Rising Stars — was in pole position for the OGs. Lillard, who won MVP last year by scoring 39 points for the East and going 11-for-23 from 3, said the award is more ephemeral now.
“Anytime you’re going to look at the MVP, you want to look at what jumped out,” Lillard said. “In this type of format, nobody is going to have 50 points, or 30 points is even going to be hard to do unless you shoot it every time and make every shot. But you look at what jumps out. When was the crowd the loudest? What jumped off the floor? And that’s probably who your MVP is going to be. So, watching the game, it was like, ‘I’m pretty sure Steph is going to win it.’ … I don’t know how many points he had, it couldn’t have been that much, but I think it was the eye test.”
Kyrie Irving, a fellow member of the OGs team, echoed Lillard’s endorsement of Curry.
“It’s easy to feed the hot guy, man and once he hit his first 3, basically every time we were looking for him,” Irving said. “When he’s in his hometown and playing in front of his home crowd, we all know what that means as an NBA player, as his peer. So, we’re not going to get in the way of that, man.”
Curry became the 15th player in league history to win All-Star MVP more than once and the 17th player in league history to win the award when his NBA team was hosting the event.
“The hosting experience was unbelievable,” Curry said when asked about the Warriors welcoming the All-Star events in both Oakland and San Francisco. “I’m not going to complain about being tired or exhausted. This is an honor and a blessing to be able to celebrate and share this beautiful Bay Area that’s been a part of my life for the last 16 years and the basketball history and culture that’s here and the amazing fans that are here and the impact that the game being here has had on both cities.”
SAN FRANCISCO — The new tournament format for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night drew mixed reviews, with several players taking issue with the breaks during and in between games.
The NBA eschewed the traditional East vs. West setup in favor of a four-team single-elimination tournament, with a target score of 40 points for each round. Three of the teams were drafted by TNT “Inside the NBA” analysts Charles Barkley (Chuck’s Global Stars), Kenny Smith (Kenny’s Young Stars) and Shaquille O’Neal (Shaq’s OGs). The fourth team, named for Candace Parker (Candace’s Rising Stars), was comprised of the winning squad from Friday night’s Rising Stars event.
Players expressed satisfaction with the action on the floor, but pointed out Sunday’s tournament featured too many stoppages, as comedian Kevin Hart entertained the crowd at Chase Center with commentary and banter that halted play on the floor.
“To be honest, I didn’t like it at all,” said Trae Young, a member of Chuck’s Global Stars. “I didn’t like the breaks. The games were so short. Obviously, we can score. So, they’re trying to, I feel like, trying to extend the game, extend the TV time with the breaks and things like that.”
The championship game — in which Shaq’s veteran-laden squad featuring players such as Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant defeated Chuck’s team of international talents like Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama — featured a long break of nearly 20 minutes due to a tribute to the TNT broadcast crew, which is in its final year covering All-Star Weekend.
“I would rather play without breaks,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But I had fun, nonetheless. I feel like it was a little bit more towards the competitive side tonight, which is a good feeling, a step in the right direction. I guess it’s up to the guys that handle all that stuff to figure out what’s next and how to keep making it more and more interesting. Hopefully, we get there one day.”
Added Jaylen Brown: “I would say it’s not ideal to stop like that if you want guys to be physical. I think guys were still out there having fun. All the OGs, team old knees and old backs, we came out on top, so I don’t think anyone else should have had any excuses. It’s definitely not ideal.”
Curry, who scored 12 points in the championship game en route to winning All-Star MVP, said he “did have some input and a lot of conversations with (NBA commissioner) Adam (Silver) and the rest of the leadership on where we were last year.”
“We needed to change, needed some new life, new juice in the game, something kind of unexpected,” Curry said.
Durant said the format “took some getting used to,” while Curry’s Warriors teammate, Draymond Green, criticized the decision to include first- and second-year Rising Stars players.
“I had to work so hard to play on Sunday night of All-Star Weekend,” Green said on the TNT broadcast. “And because ratings are down, because the game’s bad, we’re bringing in Rising Stars? I never played in the Rising Stars game. My first two years, I didn’t touch that game. And these guys get to touch the All-Star floor? On Sunday night?”
The absence of injured stars such as LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Edwards also put a damper on the game.
Chuck’s Global Stars bested Kenny’s Young Stars in the first semifinal matchup of the evening as Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 12 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting to fuel a 41-32 victory. Shaq’s OGs advanced to the championship with a 42-35 win over Candace’s Rising Stars.
Damian Lillard scored a team-high 9 points in the semifinal win, with Curry contributing 8 as Shaq’s OGs closed the game on a 14-7 run. Lillard drilled the game-winning 28-footer off a Durant assist.
“Once we got into the flow of things, it was pretty good,” Durant said. “The first game we played against the Rising Stars I thought was pretty good.”
ESPN
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NBA All-Star Game weekend, with its revised format, is officially over.
Shaq’s OGs, a team composed of seasoned veterans, won the 2025 All-Star Game and Warriors guard Stephen Curry, playing in front of his hometown fans at the Chase Center, won the game’s Most Valuable Player award after he scored 12 points in the final, including nine of his team’s final 18.
The OGs toppled Chuck’s Global Stars, a team of mostly international superstars, 41-25.
The NBA launched a revised format designed to increase competitiveness; as opposed to a traditional East vs. West game, four teams — including one Rising Stars squad made up of rookies and sophomores — competed in a mini-tournament.
The game, however, was deprived of some star power, with icons like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis all sitting out with injuries.
James, who was slated to play in a record 21st All-Star Game, sat out with continued left ankle and foot soreness.
His record for consecutive starts ends at 20 as he missed an All-Star Game for the first time when he has been chosen to play. He was not tapped in his rookie year.
“I hope to be available Wednesday,” James, 40, said during a news conference before Sunday’s game. The Los Angeles Lakers will play the Charlotte Hornets in a game rescheduled because of the California wildfires.
“I was hoping that it would feel a lot better this morning but it’s not where I want it to be.”
James missed a game Feb. 8 against the Indiana Pacers with the same issue. He was slated to play for Shaq’s OGs, but since the announcement came so close to tipoff, James was not replaced.
Each player on the championship-winning team will receive $125,000, each player on the second-place team will receive $50,000 and each player on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.
Read about all of Sunday night’s action from the NBA All-Star Game:
SAN FRANCISCO — The star of the host team who welcomed All-Star fans to the Bay Area for the weekend collected his second NBA All-Star MVP.
Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry earned Sunday’s Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP trophy with a 12-point, four-rebound performance in the championship game of the event featuring a new four-team mini-tournament.
Curry’s performance helped Shaq’s OGs defeat Chuck’s Global Stars, 41-25. In the three-game event, the first team to 40 points won each game.
Curry had eight points and six rebounds in the semifinal victory against Candace’s Rising Stars, giving him 20 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two assists in two games. He made four 3-pointers in the final game and two 3s in the semifinal.
Curry won the award in 2022 with 50 points, including 48 points on 16 made 3-pointers.
In the end, the slow start was too much to overcome.
Shaq’s OGs, a team of seasoned veterans, toppled Chuck’s Global Stars 41-25 in the NBA All-Star Game final after the Global Stars missed their first 10 shots of the game, falling in an early 10-point hole.
Stephen Curry, playing in front of his home crowd, scored nine of the OGs final 18 points to help his team pull away. He was named MVP. Curry scored 12 points on four-of-eight shooting — with all his attempts coming from beyond the arc — while Celtics forward Jayson Tatum led all players with 15 points.
Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama led the Global Stars, who shot just 35.5% from the floor, with 11 points.
There are slow starts and then there are slow starts.
In the NBA All-Star Game final, Shaq’s OGs, a team of seasoned veterans, scored the game’s first 11 points, as Chuck’s Global Stars started 0-for-10 from the field.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum led the charge early, leading all players with 11 points scored on a dunk and three 3s.
The NBA then had an intermission to honor the TNT Inside the NBA crew.
Coming out of that break, Chuck’s Global Stars picked up the pace and went on a 7-3 run, though Shaq’s OGs have maintained a commanding lead, 33-19.
SAN FRANCISCO ‒ Kevin Hart paid tribute to TNT’s “Inside the NBA” crew of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, who are broadcasting their final All-Star Weekend with TNT.
TNT is not part of the NBA’s new 11-year, $76 billion TV deal which begins next season with Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBC and Amazon showing NBA games.
The crew received “gone fishing” gifts, a nod to an “Inside the NBA” segment when a team is eliminated from the playoffs.
While TNT won’t have NBA games next season, TNT licensed the rights for “Inside the NBA” to Disney and the popular program will continue on ESPN and ABC. It will be produced by TNT staffers.
The NBA said a halftime of about 12 minutes will take place when the first team reaches 20 points in the final. Entertainment for fans and another warm-up for players will take place.
Score one for the critics.
Those bemoaning the inclusion of the Rising Stars in the revised format of the NBA All-Star Game will point to the way Shaq’s OGs, a team of seasoned NBA veterans, pulled away late to win the second game of the mini-tournament, 42-35.
The OGs closed on a 14-7 run to set up a showdown against Chuck’s Global Stars in the final of the NBA All-Star Game.
Frankly, it could’ve ended sooner, as the OGs had multiple chances to reach the target score of 40, though they settled for 3s and opted for flair. That allowed the Rising Stars to make a small push, though it would not be enough.
Shaq’s OGs scored 17 fastbreak points compared to eight from the Rising Stars, and Bucks guard Damian Lillard, who hit the game-clinching 3 pointer, finished with a game-high nine points.
Jaren Barajas, a fan, won $100,000 when he beat Bucks guard Damian Lillard in a 3-point shootoff, hosted by media personality Mr. Beast.
Lillard needed to hit three logo shots before Barajas hit one. Barajas nailed his shot at the buzzer – off the bank, no less – to take home the cash.
Perhaps there is something to be said about experience.
While Shaq’ OGs, a team comprised mostly of veterans, has several All-Star appearances to their names, the Rising Stars have hung around to make it a mostly competitive game, with Shaq’s OGs taking a 28-26 lead.
Lakers guard Dalton Knecht leads the Rising Stars with eight points on three-of-five shooting, while Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who is playing in front of his home crowd, leads the OGs with eight points, including a pair of deep 3s.
Although the Rising Stars have kept things competitive, there is a nonchalance and ease to the pace and play of the OGs.
The winner of this game will take on Chuck’s Global Stars in the All-Star Game final.
SAN FRANCISCO — Chuck’s Global Stars advanced to the final of Sunday’s All-Star Game with a 41-32 victory over Kenny’s Young Stars.
In a game where the winner was determined by the first to 40 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s dunk ended the game. Alexander had a game-high 12 points, and Victor Wembanyama and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored six points for the Global Stars.
The Global Stars will play the winner of Shaq’s OGs vs. Candace’s Rising Stars in the final of the new All-Star format.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the leading candidate for the 2024-25 regular-season MVP award, also had two rebounds, one assist and one block.
There was a modicum of defense played – the Global Stars had three blocks and three steals.
Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Tyler Herro each scored six points for the Young Stars.
SAN FRANCISCO — Chuck’s Global Stars own a 17-12 lead against Kenny’s Young Stars in a game where the winner is determined by the first team to 40 points.
Karl-Anthony Towns has six points on two 3-pointers and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has four points for the Global Stars. Tyler Herro, who won the 3-point shooting contest, leads the Young Stars with six points on two 3s.
Candace Parker, the TNT analyst who is also the general manager of the Rising Stars team that won Friday’s mini-tournament, took a playful shot at Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, perhaps over Green’s criticism about the Rising Stars competing Sunday against NBA All-Stars.
During the TNT pregame show, a comment was made about Parker “coaching” the Rising Stars, which is not the case; Warriors icon Chris Mullin is serving as the honorary coach.
“There’s no way I could coach — ever — it would be like Draymond coaching,” Parker said.
“Wow,” Green responded. “I’ve already been offered the Golden State Warriors head coaching job, you think I’m going to suck?”
“I didn’t think you would suck, I just didn’t think you would enjoy it. You would not be able to coach — your patience, our patience …” Parker said before trailing off.
Green had criticized the NBA’s decision to include the Rising Stars as “absurd” earlier during the TNT pregame show.
“I had to work so hard to play on Sunday night of All-Star weekend, and because ratings are down because the game is bad, we’re bringing in Rising Stars? That’s not a fix,” Green said during the broadcast.
Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter and paramedic Dennis R. Rodriguez sang the national anthem before the NBA All-Star Game. He represents the first responders who worked tirelessly during the wildfires that rocked the area, destroying lives, homes and landmarks.
Rodriguez has been a member of the Los Angeles Fire Department since April 2015, according to the Sporting News.
NBA All-Star weekend welcomes a few events tipping off across networks that include ESPN and TNT, which you can stream on Sling.
SAN FRANCISCO — Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is not paying in the All-Star Game due to a strained left calf, joked that one of his kids hacked his phone and posted on social media that he had interest in participating in the 2026 slam dunk contest if Memphis’ Ja Morant did it, too.
“That was my kids tweeting. That wasn’t me,” Antetokounmpo said. “While I was sleeping, they woke up in the middle of the night, came next to the nightstand, took my phone out of my charger, went to their room, tweeted and I found out this morning.”
Dad jokes aside, Antetokounmpo said, “I think you get motivated seeing guys go out there to put on a show. You get motivated. If I’m healthy and things are going well for me next year, I will want to do it.”
Antetokounmpo was open to other All-Star format changes, too, such as a one-on-one event, international stars vs. U.S. stars and an All-Star Weekend in Europe.
“Anything that can make the weekend more exciting, more fun for the viewers, for the fans and for the players, I would love to participate,” he said.
He was super supportive of a world stars vs. U.S. stars game.
“That would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. I’d take pride in that,” he said. “I always compete, but I think that will give me a little bit more extra juice to compete, like having Shai, Jokic, Luka, Wemby, Towns, Sengun. I know those players. Obviously I’m missing some guys that I cannot think from the top of my head, going against the best U.S. players. I think it would be fun.”
SAN FRANCISCO — LeBron James was the last active NBA player to host “Saturday Night Live” – on Sept. 29, 2007.
As the long-running sketch comedy show celebrates its 50th anniversary Sunday, James reflected on his appearance.
“To be a part of the ‘Saturday Night Live’ legacy is a dream come true,” James said. “It’s been on, obviously, my entire life, and seeing so many great actors grace those skits every single Saturday and so many entertainers that come there and do their bits, as well, it was fun.
“It was super fun, and hopefully I get the opportunity to do it again. I would love to do it again. I was so young. You said 2006? 2007? I was 21, 22 maybe. It was super fun. … It was definitely a treat and something that I can always look back and say ‘I was on a show that Will Ferrell has been on and so many great guys.’ Bill Hader is a good friend of mine. It was pretty cool.”
James’ skit where he plays one-on-one against an overly cocky production assistant played by Jason Sudeikis made USA TODAY Sports’ list of favorite “SNL” sports sketches.
LeBron James will compete in his 21st NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. He made his first All-Star appearance in 2005 and has shared the court with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Kevin Garnett, among others.
He played in 13 games as a representative for the Eastern Conference. He spent five seasons representing the West. He also spent two seasons as the team captain for Team LeBron James and earned victories over Team Stephen Curry in 2018 and 2019.
The All-Star Game changed to a draft format during those two years and was not specifically tied to the East vs. West team name moniker, according to information on StatMuse. ‒ James Williams
LeBron James is averaging 21.7 points (434 total), 5.7 rebounds (114 total) and 5.7 assists (113 total) through his first 20 All-Star Game appearances. James is the all-time leader in several All-Star Game statistical categories including minutes (536), field goals made (182), field goals attempted (355) and 3-pointers attempted (138), according to Fox Sports. James is currently third in assists with 113, behind Chris Paul (128) and Magic Johnson (127). James’ 114 rebounds is sixth all-time, behind Wilt Chamberlain (197), Bob Pettit (178), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (149), Bill Russell (139) and Tim Duncan (136). ‒ James Williams
The Dallas Mavericks have suspended an employee as assistant coach Darrell Armstrong was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The Dallas Police Department said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports that officers responded to a call about 3:45 a.m. on Saturday regarding a dispute. A preliminary investigation found Armstrong and the alleged victim were in an argument when he allegedly hit the victim with a gun and threatened to shoot her.
Armstrong was booked into jail before 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and was charged with assault with a deadly weapon. His bond was set to $35,000, which he has since posted. Police said Armstrong and the alleged victim know each other.
The Mavericks said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports that they are aware of an incident “involving a member of our staff,” but did not specify who it was. The team said it was gathering information regarding the incident and the staff member was suspended. Read full story here. ‒ Jordan Mendoza
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be held in Los Angeles at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome. The 2027 NBA All-Star Game is headed to the desert in Phoenix at the Suns’ Footprint Center. The location of the 2028 NBA All-Star Game has not been announced yet.
In what is TNT’s last All-Star Weekend telecast for at least the next 11 seasons, longtime TNT sports host Ernie Johnson delivered a thoughtful and grateful message at the annual NBA Legends Brunch.
Johnson relied on one of his trademark rhyming poems to express himself.
In front of some of the greatest players to play in the NBA, including Oscar Robertson, Johnson said:
“Pointing fingers or placing blame, they have no place in this rhyme.
“Bitterness or ill-will, c’mon, don’t waste my time.
“Instead consider gratitude. We’re thankful, and we’re blessed.
“Our TNT production crew, our backbone, just the best.
“So for all my colleagues, every teammate in our ranks:
We offer you a simple yet sincere and heartfelt thanks.”
TNT is not part of the NBA’s new 11-year, $76 billion TV deal to televise and stream games starting in 2025-26. However, TNT’s popular and entertaining “Inside the NBA” featuring Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith has been licensed to Disney so that show will continue on ESPN and ABC.
SAN FRANCISCO — Mac McClung brought out the props for the slam dunk contest – a car, a ladder, a hoverboard.
And despite his limited NBA experience – the 6-2 high-flyer from the G League jumped, floated and wowed the crowd with his creativity for another All-Star slam dunk contest victory Saturday at Chase Center.
McClung is the first player to win the event three consecutive times and was asked if it would be fair to consider him the greatest dunker ever.
“That’s not for me to decide,” McClung said.
Miami’s Tyler Herro won his first 3-point contest and prevented Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard from winning the event for the third consecutive season.
Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley won the Skills Challenge and NBA commissioner Adam Silver explained why there was no rematch between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu.
SAN FRANCISCO – The idea of not working NBA All-Star Weekend didn’t register with TNT’s Kenny Smith until a friend asked him a question this week.
“My friend asked, ‘Are you going to come to All-Star Weekend next year?’ Smith told USA TODAY Sports from the green room at Pier 48, down the street from Golden State’s Chase Center. He was preparing to appear with TNT’s popular “Inside the NBA” crew for a show before the Minnesota-Oklahoma City game.
“I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He says, ‘Well, NBC does it after this season.’ When my friend asked me that question, I had never thought about it.” Read the full story here.
Despite the NBA’s best efforts over the last decade to juice up its All-Star Game to a vague level of competitiveness and credibility, it’s hard to see the league’s newest gimmick generating significantly different results this weekend than the Elam Ending or having LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo drafting the teams.
If that’s the case, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will likely see it as a failure. He has made it clear he wants the All-Star Game to be something other than a glorified pickup run, and the league hopes that this year’s format — dividing players into four teams and having a first-to-40 tournament — will be more satisfying for fans in the arena and more attractive for those watching on television.
But the real problem with the All-Star Game is not something the NBA can fix with a new format, or even shoveling money into the bank accounts of the players.
The problem is us. Or, to be more precise, the way our collective consumption of the NBA has evolved. Read Dan Wolken’s column here.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver wants a more competitive All-Star Game. His broadcast partners domestically and globally want a more competitive game. Fans – and their seething, disgusted, and worse, apathetic emails dropped into my inbox – want the same. I, too, prefer a more competitive All-Star Game.
Yet, I am skeptical that there is a long-term solution to making it a better product for the league, its partners and fans. Read Jeff Zillgitt’s column here.
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