NBA All-Star 2026 reaction: Was the new format a success?
NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles is over, with Anthony Edwards walking away as the MVP from the winning USA Stars team in a revamped format.
The round-robin tournament containing a team of international stars, young American talent and American older stars saw four games played and an increased intensity from that of past years.
The question remains over whether the All-Star game is back to its former best or will the format lose its appeal if it returns in 2027.
Sports News Blitz writer Oliver Powell looks at All-Star weekend 2026 and all the positives and negatives to come from LA.
The contrast of Saturday’s events
Saturday at All-Star weekend tends to bring out plenty of viral moments as players from across the league compete in skills-related challenges.
The evening began with the three-point contest, which continues to be a favourite amongst players and fans as Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard won the competition for a third time.
Lillard picked up the title despite not playing an NBA game this season as he recovers from a torn achilles, and he beat out all-stars Devin Booker, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, and Norman Powell.
The event still garners the interest of the stars in the league, with Stephen Curry already committing to entering in 2027 in a showdown for the ‘best shooter in the league’ title with reigning champion Lillard.
The rest of the evening failed to have the same impact, with the new Shooting Stars challenge won by Team Knicks, represented by Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony-Towns and Allan Houston, replacing the skills challenge that became outdated.
The Dunk contest was a hotly-debated topic, with supporters unimpressed by a once-prestigious competition.
In stark contrast to the three-point contest, the stars won’t enter the dunk contest, leaving players on the periphery of their teams’ roster to compete.
Miami Heat’s Keshad Johnson won ahead of San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, and Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson.
However, the league faces a tough decision on whether to continue the contest in 2027 with interest falling to shameful lows for a trophy won by the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and judge on the day Dwight Howard.
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USA Stars put on a Sunday spectacle
The 2026 All-Star game was to be put under microscopic inspection as NBA commissioner Adam Silver searched for a recipe to produce an engaging product.
On the whole, the game was a success with the players producing higher-intensity basketball from that of the previous few years.
Two superstars from the World team didn’t buy into the rejuvenated contest, as Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic played five minutes each across the evening and scored two points between them.
Despite that, some of the young faces of the league stood tall to put on a show for the fans, with Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham delivering on the night.
Edwards, who was awarded NBA All-Star game MVP after scoring 32 points across his three games, went on to say the intensity that Wembanyama brought to the game ignited the fire in him to deliver.
An incredible 12-minutes from Team Stripes’ Kawhi Leonard in their game against Team World produced 31 points on his home floor for the LA Clippers in one of the most breathtaking moments in All-Star game history.
Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo were unable to feature due to injury and put the brakes on what could’ve been an even-more enthralling contest.
Whilst the evening was a better product for supporters than previous years, it’s hard to see that the format plays a huge role in what happens on the court, with the players controlling the intensity and if it wasn’t for Wembanyama’s full-blooded attitude we may not have gotten the spectacle that is being lorded as a victory for the league.
The verdict has to be a success for Adam Silver and the NBA, with players showing out in action closer to real competitive basketball.
Now, we await 2027 in Phoenix to see if they stick or twist on the USA vs the World format.
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