2026 NBA All-Star Game: USA Stars defeat USA Stripes in Championship

> NBA All-Star 2026: Complete coverage

• What: 75th NBA All-Star Game
• Winner: USA Stars
  • Game 1: USA Stars 37, World 35
  • Game 2: USA Stripes 42, USA Stars 40
  • Game 3: USA Stripes 48, World 45 (*World eliminated)
  • Championship Game: USA Stars 47, USA Stripes 21

LOS ANGELES — The situation begged for it, the new format asked for it, and the best players on the planet delivered it.

Therefore, this became an Awe-Star Game, with rich performances, big-shot making … and defense! Four games by three teams on a single afternoon amounted to 48 minutes of basketball bliss because everyone involved had a common goal and mission, to restore the shine to the midseason classic.

So the 75th NBA All-Star Game was one to soak in and savor, as it turned out. The official record will show that USA Stars beat USA Stripes, 47-21, for the trophy after World was eliminated early and deprived of any global bragging rights; that’s how history will record the results. Meanwhile, the atmosphere on the floor mattered more. It dripped with competition. It reflected that the players were invested and they cared.

“I like this format,” said Anthony Edwards, matter-of-factly, after taking MVP honors. “It was really good. It made us compete.”

There was evidence of such, and it was rooted in the purpose of Victor Wembanyama, who all week preached his stated goal of forcing inspired play. Well: The Spurs’ center was fiery from the jump in the very first game, hitting shot after shot to jump-start the afternoon, going for blocks, and everything else fell into place. As in: Scottie Barnes dropping a game-winning shot to win in overtime for USA Stars over World; Kawhi Leonard — a last-minute addition to the roster — showing out for the home crowd with a 12-minute bucket blitz; De’Aaron Fox hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a win for USA Stripes.

Wemby’s mission was simple: “To make it fun.”

He added: “I think it was pretty good.”

Wemby might need another year or two to earn the honorable face-of-the-league title. Until then, because of his latest efforts, he’s the current face-of-the-All-Star Game.

Seeking to showcase the depth and reach of NBA talent globally and also rouse the spirits within the rosters, the league chose to field three All-Star teams, two comprised of Americans and one mainly with foreign-born players. The shake-up produced some needed sizzle.

With three teams and compressed games — 12 minutes each — in the round-robin tourney, there was no other option. The format therefore led to increased pressure, which led to enhanced intensity. That’s because the margin for error was squeezed. Teams couldn’t afford lapses, or else. Almost every possession counted. No room to snooze, or lose.

“The intensity to start the games was good,” said Kevin Durant. “Teams were competing and playing defense. I think it was a show that everybody put on. Kawhi was great. Ant was great. I think we did what we’re supposed to do for the fans.”

The single-game performance belonged to the player who was well-adapted to the surroundings. That would be Kawhi, the only All-Star of the Los Angeles Clippers. You could say Kawhi was, well, Intuit.

His 31 points — again, in just 12 minutes — to help USA Stripes eliminate World was a basketball blizzard. Not only did Kawhi make 6-for-7 from deep and miss just twice in 13 tries, he stole a cross-court pass to stretch the lead to four, then added a 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left for the clincher.

This was a continuation of more of the same for Kawhi over the last three months of the season. No player has been more productive or frankly more valuable to his team than Kawhi. The Clippers have won 20 of their last 27 games, and this despite jettisoning two of their three best players (James Harden, Ivica Zubac) in the last few weeks, prior to the trade deadline. Kawhi is averaging 29 points, eight rebounds and two steals this month alone.

Edwards walked up to Kawhi before playing the final game and said: “You need to chill.”

Kawhi certainly bought into the format swap.

“You’re playing 12 minutes and then you rest, then go to the next game, different opponent,” he said. “It’s just like playing pickup basketball.”

The World failed to advance to the championship game, and yet the World was and is in good hands. Namely, Wembanyama’s. The 7-foot-4 symbol of the next generation pledged to bring sweat back into the All-Star Game and he delivered on that.

He was a problem in World’s two games, both decided in the final seconds, one in overtime, and by just a combined five points. Those contests were tight mainly because Wemby covered the entire floor — dropping buckets in a variety of ways (33 points, 4-for-5 from deep, 10-for-13 overall) and cleaning glass in terms of rebounds and swats.

His energy and effort was noticeably strong and obviously inspirational. The two USA teams either had to match it or get erased by it. And that’s precisely what Wemby wanted to do — raise the ball and the heat and the stakes.

“It was Wemby,” confirmed Edwards. “He created this.”

It came was a surprise, then, when Wemby’s chance to give the World a chance fell flat. Trailing by three points in the do-or-die semifinal against USA Stripes, his deep shot rimmed out.

The World did play at a disadvantage because Giannis Antetokounmpo, who greatly looked forward to this format, was an injury scratch. Also, no Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an injury scratch, and very little from Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić, who combined for two points, two rebounds and two assists, playing only the first game. There’s always next year for the World, which raises an interesting question:

Will there be a next year? Will the format be one-and-done, in spite of its obvious appeal? That begs to be asked, because some of the players, when asked prior to the game, suggested a return to the traditional East vs. West.

LeBron James was one of them, when he skeptically said, hours before tipoff: “Obviously, I like the East and West format. They’re trying something. We’ll see what happens … I mean, it’s like the U.S. versus the World. The World is gigantic over the U.S. I’m just trying to figure out how that makes sense. I don’t want to dive too much into that. East-West is great. We’ll see what happens with this.”

Then, after the buzzer, the suspicions subsided. What changed?

Well, everything changed Sunday, starting with the intensity.

“I’ve been asking for it,” said Karl-Anthony Towns. “Fans have been asking for it. Media has been asking for it.”

Ultimately, the future flavor of the All-Star Game will be the call of commissioner Adam Silver and his All-Star Weekend elves. They have several months to decide.

“I wouldn’t be against this format,” said Wemby, “and I wouldn’t be against the regular East vs. West, either.”

In the meantime, when a different kind of question was asked during this global-flavored Sunday afternoon, the ball didn’t lie:

The World ain’t ready for US, not yet.

–Shaun Powell

Team USA Stars

• Scottie Barnes
• Devin Booker
• Cade Cunningham
• Jalen Duren
• Anthony Edwards
• Chet Holmgren
• Jalen Johnson
• Tyrese Maxey

Team USA Stripes

• Jaylen Brown
• Jalen Brunson
• Kevin Durant
• De’Aaron Fox
• Brandon Ingram
• LeBron James
• Kawhi Leonard
• Donovan Mitchell
• Stephen Curry (injured, will not play)

Team World

• Deni Avdija
• Luka Dončić
• Nikola Jokić
• Jamal Murray
• Norman Powell
• Alperen Sengun
• Pascal Siakam
• Karl-Anthony Towns
• Victor Wembanyama
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (injured, will not play)
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (injured, will not play)

Roster Updates

• Alperen Sengun replaces the injured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Brandon Ingram replaces the injured Stephen Curry
• De’Aaron Fox replaces the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo; Norman Powell moves to Team World

All-Star Game Selections

As in the past, 24 NBA All-Stars (12 from each conference) were originally selected as follows: The five players honored as starters from each conference will be selected by fans (50% of the vote), current NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%), and the seven players honored as reserves from each conference will be selected by NBA head coaches. Following the announcement of the starters and reserves, the All-Stars were assigned to two U.S. teams.

Below are the results of the original All-Star selections prior to the roster assignments and injury replacements:

Eastern Conference Starters

• Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks
• Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics
• Jalen Brunson | New York Knicks
• Cade Cunningham | Detroit Pistons
• Tyrese Maxey | Philadelphia 76ers

Eastern Conference Reserves

• Scottie Barnes | Toronto Raptors
• Jalen Duren | Detroit Pistons*
• Jalen Johnson | Atlanta Hawks*
• Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers
• Norman Powell | Miami Heat*
• Pascal Siakam | Indiana Pacers
• Karl-Anthony Towns | New York Knicks

*Denotes 1st-time All-Star

Western Conference Starters

• Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors
• Luka Dončić | Los Angeles Lakers
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder
• Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets
• Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs

Western Conference Reserves

• Deni Avdija | Portland Trail Blazers*
• Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns
• Kevin Durant | Houston Rockets
• Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves
• Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder*
• LeBron James | LA Lakers
• Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets*

*Denotes 1st-time All-Star