What time is it?
Time for history to be made.
When the 75th NBA All-Star Game tips at 5 ET on NBC & Peacock, it’ll come with a brand-new format: U.S. vs. The World.
Keep reading for what to know, after Dame Lillard made some 3-Point Contest history of his own last night.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
75th All-Star Game: U.S. vs. World. 3 teams. 3 unique identities. 1 showcase unlike any other
Doing What They Do Best: Saturday’s scenes rewarded Dame’s long-distance, Brunson’s clutch gene and Keshad’s high-flying
Back On Dame Time: Despite missing this season, Lillard wins record-tying 3rd State Farm 3-Point Contest
Winning Saturday: Keshad Johnson soars through AT&T Slam Dunk, Team Knicks catches fire late
On The Ground: Joker shtick, aura advice with Shai and more all-access from All-Star Media Day
BUT FIRST … ⏰
All-Star Weekend’s main event…
The 75th NBA All-Star Game tips off tonight at Intuit Dome (5 ET, NBC & Peacock | Tap To Watch) with the event’s first U.S. vs. World format, featuring three teams: USA Stars, USA Stripes and Team World.
Up first, LeBron James, a 22-time All-Star, is scheduled to meet with the media for his All-Star press conference at 2:30 ET.
On Saturday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver met with the media for his annual All-Star Press Conference.
1. THE 75TH NBA ALL-STAR GAME: U.S. vs. WORLD ON NBC & PEACOCK
In the All-Star Game’s 75-year history, there’s never been one quite like tonight’s (5 ET, NBC & Peacock).
The annual midseason classic enters a new era Sunday, as the league debuts its first U.S. vs. World format:
USA Stars vs. USA Stripes vs. Team World.
Four 12-minute games.
One winner-take-all final to crown the 75th All-Star champion.
How Does It Work? It’s simple. Each All-Star squad will play the other once in a round robin
Every Bucket Counts: The two teams with the best record will then advance to the All-Star Championship. If all three teams are 1-1, point differential will serve as the first tiebreaker
The Finale: The mini-tournament ends with a fourth and final duel – a 12-minute championship to decide who hoists the hardware
Global Tip-Off: The action opens with a matchup that puts the new format on full display, as USA Stars’ youth and athleticism collide with Team World’s blend of international size and skill.
USA Stars: Comprised of the younger American All-Stars, USA Stars is stacked with electric guard play, versatile bigs and energy made for the bright lights, with seven players 25 or younger and Devin Booker (29) anchoring the group.
Debut Stage: That includes three first-time All-Stars in Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Johnson
Tempo Setters: Four All-Stars will guide the backcourt in Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards and Booker
Team World: Stretching across the globe, the international squad is as long as it is talented, led by two of the game’s most unique bigs in Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama.
Tall & Talented: Alperen Sengun, Karl-Anthony Towns and Pascal Siakam round out a versatile frontcourt
Craft & Creation: The league’s leading scorer, Luka Dončić, paces the backcourt alongside a trio of first-time All-Stars in Jamal Murray, Deni Avdija and Norman Powell
USA Stripes: Waiting for USA Stars & Team World in Games 2 & 3 is USA Stripes – the veteran American All-Stars, who bring championship experience and a presence that needs no introduction.
The King & KD: LeBron James (22 All-Star selections) and Kevin Durant (16) have combined for 38 All-Star nods and rank 1st and 3rd in All-Star Game scoring, respectively
Proven Pedigree: Three other Stripes have 5+ All-Star selections: Jaylen Brown (5), Donovan Mitchell (7) and Kawhi Leonard (7), who takes the floor in his home building at Intuit Dome
Built For This: Rounding out the squad? Former Kia Clutch POY winners Jalen Brunson and De’Aaron Fox, along with two-time All-Star Brandon Ingram
Now, the whole hoops world turns to Los Angeles.
Three teams. Three unique identities. One new format. And 48 minutes of basketball to decide the 75th All-Star champion.
2. SATURDAY’S STRENGTHS: DAME FROM DISTANCE, CLUTCH BRUNSON, KESHAD SOARS
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
All-Star Saturday had the complete hero’s journey.
An OG superstar making his surprise return to match 3-Point Contest history
A current top-5 scorer coming up clutch yet again to claim Kia Shooting Stars
And an electric young flyer proving his place among today’s top dunkers as a first-time AT&T Slam Dunk champ
Ride the rollercoaster that was last night with some of our favorite visuals…
Dunkers Carter Bryant and Jaxson Hayes were all of us when Dame returned to the court with a Round 1 score of 27 in the State Farm 3-Point Contest.
The shootout’s dramatic finish left Lillard standing atop the podium, and Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Maxey shook.
Captain Clutch had ice in his veins sinking the logo shot to clinch Kia Shooting Stars for Team Knicks.
Hip-hop icon Ludacris got Intuit Dome hyped before AT&T Slam Dunk.
New Dunk Champ Keshad “Showtime” Johnson posted his highest-scoring slam of the night with a display of pure concentration.
But when co-finalist Bryant countered with the competition’s first 50.0, Hayes had the correct response.
It took an in-flight windmill on “Flight 305” to seal AT&T Slam Dunk for Johnson.
3. BACK ON DAME TIME: LILLARD WINS RECORD-TYING 3RD 3-POINT CONTEST
Larry Bird. Craig Hodges. Damian Lillard.
Saturday, Dame became just the third player in NBA history to win a third State Farm 3-Point Contest – this time, against all odds.
Lillard was competing on an NBA floor for the first time since the First Round of the 2024-25 Playoffs due to his Achilles injury.
And he showed no signs of rust. | Recap | Full Event
The Final Shooter: In a Blazers jersey for the first time since 2023 (and pants), Dame went 4-for-5 on his money rack to close out Round 1 with an advancing score of 27
“If there’s anything I can do great right now, it’s to shoot the ball,” he said before the round. “I’ve been rehabbing, I’ve been training. I feel great.”
Dame’s 27 matched Kon Knueppel for the second-highest Round 1 score, as the two joined Devin Booker (30) in the Championship Round
There, shooting second, Lillard set the bar with a score of 29, putting the pressure on Booker.
Whose Time? Dame hit his first four Final-Round shots, going 21-for-27, including 1-for-2 from the logos and 3-for-5 on the money rack
Down To The Final Rack: Book was within one shot of tying Lillard with three money balls to go in a dramatic finish that left Dame holding the trophy
“I was nervous. I was at his mercy,” Lillard said. “But it didn’t fall for him and this time, it was for me.”
Jesse D. Garrabrant + Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images
Dame, out for the year, is the fourth person to compete in the 3-Point Contest despite not playing in the first half of the season and first to win it. And, Lillard said, he’ll be back next year.
“So now you’ll be back for the second half of the season?” NBATV’s Chris Haynes asked the question we’re all now wondering
“This is one activity I can do 100% confident and comfortable, and I did,” Lillard replied. “But after that, I gotta keep progressing in my rehab.”
A Fourth Win For History? “I’m gonna do it again next year,” Dame confirmed to former teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo while showing off this year’s trophy
4. KESHAD JOHNSON’S SOARING SLAM DUNK TITLE, TEAM KNICKS CATCHES FIRE
Heat forward Keshad Johnson launched himself onto basketball’s biggest stage Saturday with a blend of rhythm and power.
Johnson Wins AT&T Slam Dunk: The second-year two-way player, nicknamed “Showtime,” danced his way through an all-Arizona Wildcat final with Spurs rookie Carter Bryant, keeping his foot on the gas with a consistent, four-dunk rack attack. | Recap | Full Event
For The Bay: The Oakland native felt the California love when he leapt over rap legend E-40, followed by a reverse, two-hand windmill to advance with Bryant past fellow first-time participants Jaxson Hayes and Jase Richardson
Unleashing His Best: Johnson opened the Finals Round with his highest-scoring dunk of the event (49.6), lobbing to himself for a between-the-legs reverse slam
Overcoming 50.0: Bryant responded with the contest’s only perfect 50, throwing a high self-lob for a between-the-legs finish with his head at the rim
Winning Flight: Needing a comeback, Miami’s “Flight 305” took off from a step inside the foul line while adding a windmill exclamation point
Bryant battled the clock in his final, off-glass attempt, as Keshad’s completed series of four slams carried him to the crown.
“I just came out here and showed the people who ‘Showtime’ was,” the new Dunk Champ said.
“Everybody’s journey’s different. To all the kids out there: Keep dreaming, have crazy faith. Anything can happen.”
Team Knicks needed 12 points from logo-distance in under 30 seconds just to match Team Cameron’s Final Round mark.
Captain Clutch and crew went all the way off for 20 and the Shooting Stars title.
Team Knicks Wins Kia Shooting Stars: Hitting the final shot spot (#7, “logo 3”) to decide the contest, Karl-Anthony Towns drilled two 4-pointers to set up Allan Houston’s match-tying make.
With under 3 seconds to shoot, Jalen Brunson won it before Houston tacked on a fifth to push the Knicks’ winning score to 47. | Recap | Full Event
Downtown KAT: Team Knicks stayed over the 30-point mark to hit the highest scores in both rounds, with Towns collecting four (16 pts) of New York’s eight total logo shots (spot #7)
Can’t-Miss Maggette: Team Cameron logged the contest’s other 30+ point round, with NBA legend Corey Maggette going 3-for-3 (12 pts) from the logo
5. ON THE GROUND FOR ALL-STAR MEDIA DAY PRESENTED BY AT&T
Before an epic Saturday in LA, All-Star Media Day delivered the full spectrum – from lifelong dreams realized, to locker-room laughs, to the kind of unscripted moments that only happen when the game’s biggest names are all in one place.
As USA Stars, USA Stripes & Team World took the practice floor and met with the media, the weight of the weekend began to sink in for several first-time All-Stars.
A weekend that, for them, was years in the making.
“Dream come true,” said Deni Avdija as he examined his first All-Star Game jersey. “You work hard, you sacrifice, and you be patient – good things happen.”
“At 10 years old, it was just a dream,” added first-time All-Star Jalen Duren. “But I figured with some hard work and dedication I could make it happen – and look where we’re at.”
First Look: Duren soaked it all in, seeing his name on the USA Stars threads, while Avdija admired his own with a smile: “Team World, we’re nice like that.”
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Just a few lockers down, Team World’s Nikola Jokić had jokes after once again finding himself next to Luka Dončić.
“They think that we’re friends,” Jokić joked. “So they put us next to each other.”
Jokić Being Jokić: At his presser, Jokić couldn’t hide his excitement when he realized DeMarcus Cousins was asking him a question question, then steered Boogie’s hypothetical into his love for horses
Aura Advice: Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shared the secret with a young fan on how to build aura: homework first
Steph, KD & KOTD: Elsewhere, former teammates Steph Curry and Kevin Durant shared a warm reunion, before Curry – a noted sneaker free agent – tried on Anthony Edwards’ kicks
Classic KD: When asked what he’d rather give up for life, video games or X, Durant didn’t hesitate
Beyond the laughs, a few players took a moment to reflect on the game itself.
Asked what he’d change about basketball, Cade Cunningham didn’t point to rules or trends. Instead, he zoomed out:
“I think we have the most beautiful game there is,” said Cade. “It’s about keeping the game as pure as possible.”
Victor Wembanyama was just as direct when the conversation turned to expectations and the idea of becoming the face of the league:
“Supply and demand,” said Wemby. “And I’m here to supply.”
