US Trends

rising stars game

The NBA Rising Stars Game is the rookie–sophomore showcase of All-Star Weekend, and in 2026 it has turned into a mini‑tournament with some big nostalgic names attached to it.

What the Rising Stars Game is

  • The Rising Stars Game is the NBA’s All‑Star Weekend exhibition featuring top rookies , sophomores, and select young players.
  • Instead of a simple Rookie vs. Sophomore format, the league uses multiple small teams in a short tournament, with games played to a target score.

2026: Time, place, how to watch

  • Date: Friday, February 13, 2026, during All‑Star Weekend.
  • Tip‑off: Scheduled for around 9 p.m. ET.
  • Arena: Intuit Dome in Inglewood/Los Angeles (the Clippers’ new home).
  • TV/stream: Carried via Peacock streaming; traditional TV coverage is limited or not primary.

Format and teams in 2026

  • The event uses four teams of seven players each in a mini‑tournament.
  • Three teams are made up of NBA rookies and sophomores coached by Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady (often stylized as Team Melo, Team Vince, Team T‑Mac).
  • A fourth team is a G League squad coached by Austin Rivers.
  • First round:
    • Game 1: Team Melo vs. Team Austin (G League).
* Game 2: Team Vince vs. Team T‑Mac.
  • The winners of those games play a championship matchup, with games decided by a target score rather than a timed fourth quarter (for example, a final target of 25 in the championship).

2026 results at a glance

  • The tournament concluded on the Friday of All‑Star Weekend at Intuit Dome in front of a national audience.
  • Team Vince emerged as champion, edging Team Melo 25–24 in the final.
  • VJ Edgecombe was a standout for Team Vince across the night, leading in points in earlier rounds and contributing in the final.
  • Other notable young names involved across the event included high‑profile recent picks like Dylan Harper and others expected to headline the next generation of NBA talent.

Why it’s a trending topic and forum chatter

  • Fans like the playground‑style draft and the nostalgia of Hall of Famers (Melo, Vince, T‑Mac) coaching current prospects.
  • The mini‑tournament/target‑score format keeps games short and intense, avoiding the slower feel of older Rising Stars formats.
  • With All‑Star festivities in a new Clippers arena and streaming‑first coverage on Peacock, the 2026 Rising Stars Game is frequently discussed in forums as a testbed for the NBA’s “future of All‑Star” experiments.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.