Wembanyama Ignites All-Star Weekend With Fire Fans Haven’t Felt in Years
Another All-Star Weekend is in the books, but this one didn’t just come and go-it landed. For the first time in what feels like forever, the NBA All-Star Game had juice.
Real, competitive, edge-of-your-seat juice. And it all started with a 7-foot-4 French phenom who decided he wasn’t there to coast.
The NBA has been tinkering with the All-Star format for years-East vs. West, team captains, Elam Ending, young vs. old-you name it.
But in 2026, they rolled out a new look: a three-team round robin featuring Team USA (split into Stars and Stripes) and Team World. The top two teams would face off in a championship game.
It was a fresh idea, but like every All-Star experiment, it lived or died by the effort level.
Enter Victor Wembanyama, and exit the apathy.
Wemby Sets the Tone
In the opening matchup-Team World vs. Team Stars-Wembanyama didn’t wait to test the waters.
He won the tip against Anthony Edwards, sprinted to the block, sealed Cade Cunningham, and hammered home a dunk that echoed through the Intuit Dome. Six seconds in, and the tone was set.
This wasn’t going to be a layup line.
From there, Wemby went scorched earth. He hunted mismatches, swatted Jalen Duren’s layup into the crowd, and played like the All-Star Game actually mattered.
And that energy was contagious. Edwards took it personally.
Scottie Barnes stepped up defensively. The game transformed from a highlight reel into a battle.
When regulation ended, the score was tied, leading to a sudden-death overtime-first to five wins. Duren scored first for the Stars, but Wembanyama answered with a step-back three.
With the game hanging in the balance, Karl-Anthony Towns sagged into the paint to help on a drive, only for Duren to kick it out to a wide-open Barnes. Splash.
Game over.
Wembanyama threw his arms up in frustration-not at the moment, but at the missed opportunity. He wanted that win. That mattered.
Stars Shine, Stripes Survive
The momentum carried into the next matchup. Team Stars took on Team Stripes-featuring the league’s older generation of American stars-and the intensity didn’t drop an inch.
Jaylen Brown, making his first All-Star start, put on a dunk show. De’Aaron Fox capped it with a buzzer-beating three to give the Stripes a two-point win.
Then came the final round robin game: Stripes vs. World.
This time, Kawhi Leonard took center stage. On his home floor in L.A., the Clippers star dropped 31 of his team’s 48 points, carrying the Stripes to a narrow three-point win and a spot in the championship game.
But the tank was empty.
Edwards Leads a New Era
When the final tipped off-Stars vs. Stripes-it was clear who had the fresher legs and the hungrier squad.
Edwards went full alpha, leading the young Stars to a 47-21 blowout win. He earned All-Star MVP honors, capping off a weekend where he looked like the face of the league’s next generation.
Even with the game out of reach, Barnes was still getting buckets with the shot clock winding down. That’s not just pride-that’s a shift in mentality.
For the first time in years, the All-Star Game wasn’t just a show. It was a game.
And while Edwards walked away with the trophy, it was Wembanyama who sparked the shift. One dunk, six seconds in, and suddenly everyone started playing real basketball.
A Weekend to Remember
The ripple effect was real. Cunningham, Duren, Barnes, Leonard, Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker-they all brought it.
And the fans responded. According to preliminary Nielsen and Adobe Analytics data, this was the most-watched NBA All-Star Game since 2011.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s what happens when the stars treat the game like it matters.
Celtics Corner: Brown, Harper Bros, and a Tatum Tease
Jaylen Brown made headlines both on and off the court. On the hardwood, his 11-point outing helped the Stripes edge the Stars.
Off it, a private event he hosted in Beverly Hills was shut down by the city. Officials claimed the event lacked proper permits, but Brown pushed back, saying no permit was needed and suggesting there were other motives at play.
Meanwhile, Ron Harper Jr. didn’t have the weekend he hoped for. His Rising Stars squad came up short, and to add a little sibling sting, his younger brother Dylan Harper hit the game-winner over him. The Harper family also competed in the Shooting Stars challenge, but Team Knicks-featuring Towns, Jalen Brunson, and Allan Houston-took home the title.
As for Jayson Tatum, he didn’t suit up, but he made his presence felt. During the All-Star broadcast, a teaser dropped for a five-part docuseries chronicling his road to recovery. No official return date yet, but with the Celtics' March 1 game against the Sixers now bumped to prime time, it’s fair to wonder if a comeback is around the corner.
Looking Ahead
This year’s All-Star Game didn’t just entertain-it gave fans something they’ve been missing: effort, pride, and a glimpse of the NBA’s future. Wembanyama brought the fire.
Edwards carried the torch. And for the first time in a long time, the All-Star Game felt like it meant something.
Let’s hope it stays that way.