INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Shortly after a De’Aaron Fox buzzer-beating, left corner triple lifted Team Stripes to a 42-40 win over Team Stars in Game 2 of the new-look All-Star Game, a sweat-drenched LeBron James subtly summarized his most important takeaway from a back-and-forth contest with the younger generation.
“Old heads, 1-0,” James said with a wide grin.
In a nutshell, the four words uttered by the greatest player of this generation were powerful. Not as a foreshadowing — Team Stars lifted the trophy after a convincing 47-21 thrashing in the final — but for the mere significance of the level of play on display. For all the talk — from social media to national television segments and podcasts alike — surrounding All-Star weekend and the lack of excitement, for all the gimmicks, format changes and incentives put on the table, the problem and the answer were always the same thing: the players.
Anthony Edwards receives the Most Valuable Player award during All-Star 2026. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(Anadolu via Getty Images)
Yes, these players endure an absolutely grueling schedule for months out of the year, pushing their bodies to their physical and mental limits. And yes, everyone deserves a break every once in a while. But in an era where effort and expectations were deemed to be at an all-time low, giving it an actual go, abandoning the idea of a passive, dull kickabout, would do a world of good. The upper echelon of NBA players got to this level by being better than the rest of the field — more intense, smarter, faster, stronger and more competitive. What better way to showcase that than amongst peers?
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“I think they ain’t really going to take in what I’m saying, but I like this format,” All-Star MVP Anthony Edwards said, with 10 out of 14 possible votes. “I think it makes us compete because it’s only 12 minutes, and the three different teams separate the guys. I think it was really good … I feel like the old heads played hard too. They were playing real good defense.”
For the basketball purist and casual fan alike, Sunday afternoon offered up the best the NBA has to offer. Players picking up opponents at the point of attack, with real defensive intensity on and off the ball. Edwards picking defenders apart like a hyena dissolving a carcass, going right at James and Kevin Durant. Victor Wembanyama’s insatiable drive to win, visibly frustrated at missed rotations, less-than-optimal shot selection and losing. Jaylen Brown manifesting his desires for a 1-on-1 tournament, inviting anyone who dared to step up to challenge. And Kawhi Leonard, putting phenomenal belt to ass to young whippersnappers and the international cream of the crop, reminding the world — in front of his home crowd — that he remains one of the best to lace them up. Sunday was special.
“It was great,” Leonard said. “Happy that Adam (Silver) let me in. That’s what the home crowd wanted to see. I’m glad I was able to do something in that game. … It’s always fun to go out and compete with those guys and just cherish the court with them. They’re all legends, and they’re playing great basketball.”
Moving the conversation forward, seeing the likes of Edwards and Wembanyama raise their games on one of the biggest stages, as ambassadors of basketball, is critical for the future of the sport. One of the topics discussed over the weekend, as an aside to the futures of the LeBrons, Durants and Currys of the world, is the crowning of the face of the league. Both Edwards and Wembanyama offer different vantage points as it pertains to the league dynamic, but collectively, they represent the best that the NBA has to offer. In Wembanyama, a reminder of the beauty in being different and the growth that accompanies that realization. In Edwards, the boldness in being apologetically yourself and discovering your true power and influence. Together, the recipe for carrying the league for the next generation is as clear as day.
“It’s something that’s got to be natural, of course,” Wembanyama said. “Obviously, social media, the NBA can promote whoever they want. But at the end of the day, it’s going to be the best players and who the people ask for. Being the face of the league, it’s something that can be manufactured but only to some extent. It’s only going to be the best players. This is what it’s all about.”
There is a very real storm that the NBA finds itself in, with illegal sports gambling, alleged financial misconduct and tanking at the forefront of the issues. But if Sunday was a microcosm of what it means to be in the eye of the storm, it’s phenomenal. The blending of the fiery youth and the very-present aging stars still gracing us with their presence is why folks pay inane amounts of money to come out in droves. Perhaps seeing the success of the All-Star Game inspires some of the most prolific dunkers to rethink their lack of interest in entering the contest. Maybe watching Dame Lillard lift the trophy forces great shooters — like Steph Curry did — to find love for the competition again.
“It felt good,” Durant said. “Hopefully we just build upon this and the weekend becomes more and more competitive, and the fans start to enjoy it more and more.”
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