NBA All-Star – finally serious basketball, young stars win the tournament

There was a lot of skepticism about the new All-Star format, but the novelty turned out to be a success! The impressions after four mini-games of 12 minutes each would have been even stronger if we had seen a truly competitive final… But let’s go step by step.

Three teams (Team World, Team Stars, and Team Stripes), three games in a round-robin format, and the top two teams advancing to the final. The real pace-setter of the All-Star was Victor Wembanyama. The Frenchman set the tempo in the opening clash between Team World and Team Stars.

Wemby attacked the basket aggressively, and Anthony Edwards and company accepted the physical style of play, completely erasing the exhibition mindset. Edwards’ three-pointer with 14 seconds left sent the game to overtime (where the first team to score five points wins), and the Minnesota star’s mid-range jumper paved the way for Scottie Barnes’ game-winning three that threw Wembanyama into a mini-depression.

The Frenchman was visibly frustrated, waving his arms on the sideline, and later Luka Doncic—who joined the broadcast from the bench—was even asked why Wemby got so angry. Wembanyama himself gave the answer at the press conference, and it was nothing but respectable: “This is a game we love, that I personally love a lot. The least I can do is compete and be competitive.” He scored 33 points in 20 minutes on the floor, constantly chased blocks, showed impressive intensity, and sparked a wave in L.A. Players and personalities like his make the All-Star more interesting.

Next came the clash between the Stars and the Stripes, featuring a top-class finish and a buzzer-beating win. Edwards hit a three with 20 seconds left to make it 40–39, but LeBron James put the ball in De’Aaron Fox’s hands. The All-Star newcomer ripped the net for 42–40, and after two games, both American teams had one win each.

So Team World had to beat the Stripes by at least three points to guarantee a spot in the final. It was ultra-exciting, with the score tied at 45–45 with 26 seconds left, but Wemby, Towns, and company had no answer for a red-hot Kawhi Leonard, who delivered a quarter for the ages.

Cynics will say it was just an exhibition game, but Leonard poured in 31 points in 12 minutes! The Stripes won 48–45, meaning the Clippers star scored almost 65 percent of his team’s points in the arena where he trains every day.

LeBron James’ reactions were also interesting, as Wembanyama seemed to irritate him a bit with his powerful dunks that looked like slams on a child’s hoop on a bedroom door. One of the greatest of all time twice rejected the Frenchman hard, denying him easy points—or, heaven forbid, another rim-shattering dunk.

This year’s All-Star also featured noticeably more serious and responsible defense than in previous years, a strong desire from teams to win, even challenges and video reviews by the referees—but unfortunately not an exciting final. It felt as if Kawhi Leonard had used up all his shooting in the semifinal, as if the “veterans” ran out of gas for the last 12 minutes of basketball. Hence the convincing loss, 47–21.

Ten years after one of the best All-Stars in recent history—the last All-Star featuring Kobe Bryant—the MVP award that bears Kobe’s name went to Anthony Edwards. Thirteen points in the first game, eleven in the second, and eight in the third, with plenty of clutch buckets. There was no doubt about it.

All-Star matchups – results

Team World – Team Stars 35:37

/Wembanyama 14 – Edwards 13/

Team Stars – Team Stripes 40:42

/Edwards 11 – Brown 11/

Team World – Team Stripes 45:48

/Wembanyama 19 – Leonard 31/

Final

Team Stars – Team Stripes 47:21

/Maxey 9 – Fox 6/