The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is set to kick off at the Intuit Dome near Los Angeles this Friday, featuring an array of superstar players descending on Tinseltown for an action-packed weekend.
The Rising Stars showcase will launch the festivities on Friday, highlighting some of the league’s exciting new talent. though No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg is sidelined due to injury for the All-Star break, Rookie of the Year contender Kon Knueppel will be leading the young group.
On Saturday, top-tier players will showcase their skills in the 3-point shootout, shooting stars competition, and slam dunk contest. importantly, Damian Lillard will compete in the 3-point contest despite recovering from an Achilles injury that kept him off the court for the entire season. Lillard, a two-time champion, will face off against league leader Donovan Mitchell, along with sharpshooters Tyrese Maxey and Devin Booker.
Sunday will feature three star-studded teams in a new format, showcasing American versus international players. Will Victor Wembanyama lead Team World against Kevin Durant and Team Stripes? Or will Anthony Edwards halt the excitement while leading Team Stars?
Our NBA insiders have provided a preview of what to expect during the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend, including their predictions for each event.
Expert picks were determined by a panel of NBA insiders.
Rising Stars | Saturday skills | USA vs. World tournament
Knueppel and Queen usher in the next wave of Rising Stars
Friday, 9 p.m. ET (Peacock)
The event will miss Cooper Flagg, who is out with a foot sprain, leaving the 2025 No. 1 pick unable to participate. plus, former No. 2 pick Alex Sarr will not join the competition due to a right hamstring strain, sidelining him for two weeks. yet, the spotlight will still shine on the formidable 2025 draft class, including Kon Knueppel, Dylan Harper, and VJ Edgecombe. Reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle will also participate, showcasing the best of the second-year players. I had initially favored Flagg’s team to win, but with his absence, I will opt for Team Vince, featuring Edgecombe, Derik Queen, and Matas Buzelis. Win or lose, history might not remember this pick. — Jeremy Woo
Game 1: Team Melo vs. Team Austin
Game 2: Team Vince vs. Team T-Mac
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Expert picks: Team Melo
Celebrity takeover!
Friday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
This year’s celebrity game brings familiar faces, but notably features two current NBA governors: Mat Ishbia of the Phoenix Suns and Rick Schnall of the Charlotte Hornets, whose combined age is 103.
History tells us that age is merely a number in the celebrity game. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Arne Duncan made appearances well into his late 40s and early 50s, winning MVP at 49 in 2014.
NFL stars Keenan Allen and Amon-Ra St. Brown will join the action, alongside ESPN’s own NBA insider Shams Charania, who can finally focus on playing now that the trade deadline has passed. — Anthony Gharib
Introducing the 2026 @NBAAllStar #RufflesCelebGame rosters
🏀 Friday, Feb. 13 | 7p ET | ESPN
More: https://t.co/wCR9iDfnJB pic.twitter.com/RMttC7dOmg
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 3, 2026
Legendary team-ups, high-flying dunks, and Dame Time for All-Star Saturday
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
Can Spida spoil Dame Time?
Any of the eight contestants in the 3-point contest could heat up and take the win. yet, based on their percentages for wide-open 3s this season according to NBA Advanced Stats, the favorites are Donovan Mitchell (50%), Norman Powell (49%), and Jamal Murray (48%). Bobby Portis, Kon Knueppel, and Tyrese Maxey are in the low 40s, while Devin Booker is way down at 31%.
The wild card is Damian Lillard, who hasn’t played an NBA game since tearing his Achilles in the postseason of 2025. Yet, having won this event in 2023 and 2024, he could make history as the first three-time winner in the 21st century. (Larry Bird and Craig Hodges won three times in the 80s and 90s, respectively.) — Zach Kram
Expert picks: Damian Lillard
New faces and a family affair for the dunk contest
While not the most illustrious field in dunk contest history, three out of four contestants have minimal dunking experience in NBA games. Jaxson Hayes is a seasoned veteran with an array of slams from his center position, but second-year player Keshad Johnson and rookies Carter Bryant and Jase Richardson have recorded only a handful of dunks this season.
On the plus side, there’s star lineage; Richardson’s father, Jason Richardson, claimed back-to-back dunk titles in 2002 and 2003—years before Jase was born. — Kram
Expert picks: Keshad Johnson
When you wish upon a shooting star(s)
Replacing the skills challenge, the NBA reintroduces the shooting stars competition, which ran from 2004 to 2015 and involved three-person teams: a current NBA player, an NBA legend, and a WNBA player.
This year’s competition omits a WNBA presence; instead, it will feature a second current player on each team. Two highlights include Team Harper—with Ron Harper as the NBA legend and both Dylan and Ron Jr. as current players—creating a compelling family storyline, and first-time All-Star Jalen Johnson’s inclusion on Team Cameron, which is ironic given his controversial departure from Duke to prepare for the draft. — Kram
Expert picks: Team Knicks
International vs. homegrown? What to watch in the All-Star game
Sunday, 5 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
In an effort to revitalize the NBA’s midseason showcase, the league is adopting a Team USA versus The World format in a nod to NBC’s Olympic coverage. Unfortunately, this new format has already lost key players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Stephen Curry, with potentially more to come.
Nevertheless, this format has the potential to spark memorable moments. Team World’s roster features just one guard, Jamal Murray, who is also the only player under 6-foot-8. plus, this might mark LeBron James’s final All-Star appearance, adding drama as he could go out with a bang. Regardless, this event will serve as yet another test of Adam Silver’s ongoing efforts to make the All-Star Game more competitive. — Tim Bontemps
Game 1: Stars vs. World
Game 2: Stripes vs. Game 1 winner
Game 3: Stripes vs. Game 1 loser
Game 4: All-Star Championship
Expert picks: Team World
