NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The NBA announced that Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears and center Derik Queen have been selected to compete in the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars event, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 13, at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles as part of NBA All-Star 2026.
CLICK HERE:HOW TO WATCH FOX 8 LIVE ON YOUR SMART TV FOR FREE
The Rising Stars format will feature a three-game mini tournament among four teams made up of 10 NBA rookies, 11 NBA sophomores and seven NBA G League players. The 21 NBA players, selected by NBA assistant coaches, will be drafted onto three seven-player teams. The seven G League players, selected by the league office, will form the fourth team.
New Orleans Pelicans' Jeremiah Fears (0) celebrates with teammates during the second half of...
New Orleans Pelicans' Jeremiah Fears (0) celebrates with teammates during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)(Paul Beaty | AP)
Fears, 6-foot-4 and 183 pounds, was selected seventh overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. He is averaging 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 43.5% from the field and 80.9% from the free-throw line. Fears ranks fifth among rookies in points per game and third in steals per game. He is one of four rookies with nine or more 20-point games this season.
MORE:New Orleans Pelicans 2025 schedule and how to watch every game on TV
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) celebrates after center Derik Queen, left, was...
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) celebrates after center Derik Queen, left, was fouled while making a basket in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)(Gerald Herbert | AP)
Queen, 6-10 and 248 pounds, was selected 13th overall in the 2025 draft. He is averaging 12.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks while shooting 48.7% from the field and 78.6% from the free-throw line. Queen leads all rookies in total rebounds (346), total assists (204) and field-goal percentage. The Baltimore native is one of 15 NBA players to record multiple triple-doubles this season and is the only rookie with at least one triple-double.
Fears and Queen become the 12th and 13th players in New Orleans franchise history to participate in the Rookie Challenge/Rising Stars Game, joining Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, Buddy Hield, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Nicolò Melli, Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, Trey Murphy III, Dyson Daniels, Jordan Hawkins and Yves Missi.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story?Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.