If you were like most of the people who had tickets to the 2026 All-Star game, then you probably didn't watch the event. Intuit Dome was noticeably empty throughout the weekend, underscoring that one of the league's premier events has lost its luster.
The NBA tried to inject some excitement back, changing the format to a USA vs. the World format and removing the skills competition in favor of the shooting stars contest revival. The events leading up to the game weren't great, but the main event was a much better product than in years past. Players were more competitive, and we got some good games.
Overall, the weekend had some gems mixed in with some duds. Here are the winners and losers from All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles.
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NBA All-Star 2026 winners
Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama and Kawhi Leonard
Edwards won MVP honors, but he gave the assist to Wembanyama.
"I ain't gonna lie, Wemby set the tone," Edwards said postgame. "He came out playing hard, so it's hard not to match that. So sh— that's what happened. Sorry for my language."
Edwards and Wembanyama were competitive starting from the jump ball. There was actual defense being played from most of the participants. When Wembanyama's World team lost on a 3-pointer from Scottie Barnes, Wemby looked visibly disgusted with the outcome.
That all led to three of the four games of the day being within three points. The final was a dud, but overall, the product was much better than we've become accustomed to.
The highlight of the day came while watching Kawhi Leonard, who had 31 points as Team Stripes eliminated Team World from the competition. Kawhi was an injury replacement for this game, which was ludicrous given that he's been one of the best players in the league this year. He proved it on Sunday.
Damian Lillard
Lillard's win in the 3-point contest was the ultimate feel-good story. The future Hall of Famer isn't expected to play this season after recovering from a torn Achilles but was a surprise addition to the event. He had won it twice before and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest shooters of his generation by dominating again. And he got to do it while wearing a Blazers uniform.
Lillard kept on winning after the event, trolling his former Bucks teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo after the win by asking if he'd placed a bet on Kalshi.
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VJ Edgecombe
Edgecombe's had a great rookie season so far for the Sixers. He took center stage in the Rising Stars challenge, winning the MVP of the tournament. He scored 10 straight points, burying 3's and flying to the rim to get Team Vince to the Finals. In the last game, he hit two clutch free throws to clinch a one-point win. Philadelphia looks like it got a good one.
Mac McClung
McClung had a three-year winning streak in the dunk contest but didn't bother defending his title.
"They were calling me, being like 'People didn't want to do it if I was doing it', and I thought it's best if I just sit out this year and let it be, no matter what," McClung told HoopsHype's Cyro Asseo.
McClung still won the contest in the eyes of the public. He posted a video of the dunks that he would have performed, and they were far better than anything that we saw during the real contest on Saturday night.
The four dunks @macmcclung37 would’ve done this year at this year’s dunk contest 🔥
Which one was your favorite? Text DUNK to 69097 to vote! pic.twitter.com/lrtNdcoFek
— Team VKTRY (@TeamVKTRY) February 15, 2026
NBA All-Star 2026 losers
Nikola Jokic
Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic
Jokic and Doncic were called out early in the weekend by Kevin Durant for their poor effort during previous All-Star games. They didn't do much to dispel that notion, barely playing on the day due to nursing injuries and not doing much to help Team World in their limited stints.
Anthony Edwards called them out after the game as well, noting in his postgame interview that "no shade towards Luka and Jokic, but they're two of the best players in the league. They're not trying to play in the All-Star game."
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The dunk contest
The dunk contest was always going to be an uphill climb given the lack of star power this year. Most casual fans have never even heard of Jase Richardson, Jaxson Hayes, Carter Bryant or winner Keshad Johnson. None of them put themselves on the map either.
There were mostly mediocre dunks throughout the contest. Hayes had possibly the most boring dunk ever attempted in the first round. Richardson almost concussed himself on a scary missed dunk.
Bryant and Johnson did salvage the contest. Bryant probably had the best one of the contest, earning the only perfect score on the night.
Johnson did have a handful of cool ones too, including when he jumped over Bay Area legend E-40.
Keshad Johnson over E-40 at @ATT Slam Dunk 😳
Tap to watch: https://t.co/BpnjnxQ8vC pic.twitter.com/zGQfU8kDdR
— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2026
The Oakland native had great energy, breaking out dance moves from his hometown after every dunk. It was impressive that he was able to win after having been invited to the contest only five days earlier. His victory came. though. after an anticlimactic finale where Carter Bryant missed several attempts, squandered his time, and barely squeezed off a basic dunk that cost him what looked like a surefire win.
Shams Charania
Giannis Antetokounmpo coached Charania's team during the celebrity game on Friday. The Greek Freak tried to warn us of what would happen.
"He cannot hoop," Giannis said.
There were no lies detected after Charania's Friday performance. He went scoreless, couldn't break the backcourt pressure of 46-year-old Suns owner Mat Ishbia and got called out by Kevin Durant for being on his phone during the game. He even got his own stat graphic made.
pic.twitter.com/JNGgrD81Ok
— Playmaker (@playmaker) February 14, 2026
Shams lost off the court, too. Newsbreaker Chris Haynes scooped him on Zach LaVine's season-ending hand injury while Charania was on the floor.
Zaccharie Risacher
It's been a rough year for the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft. He got invited late to the Rising Stars game as an injury replacement after Ajay Mitchell, who was drafted 37 spots after him and has looked far more promising, bowed out with an abdominal strain.
Risacher came off the bench and only played four minutes on Saturday night. It was forgettable. The French forward for the Hawks had zero points, getting roasted on social media after the game.
Shams Charania vs Zaccharie Risacher at All-Star weekend...
Shams Charania Zaccharie Risacher
▪️0 PTS ▪️0 PTS
▪️0/4 FG ▪️0/5 FG
▪️3 PHONE CHECKS ▪️5 HIGH FIVES pic.twitter.com/4tVZvVNO0m
— Underdog (@Underdog) February 14, 2026
It's not fair to judge Risacher on such a short stint in an exhibition game. But the struggle underscores that he hasn't lived up to his billing quite yet.
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