Feb 14, 2026, 08:38 PM ET
The 2026 NBA All-Huge name Game, taking residing on the Intuit Dome near Los Angeles, tipped off Friday with a plethora of famous particular person players arriving for a jam-packed weekend.
Some unique original faces of the league bought things began with the Rising Stars showcase Friday. With No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg out thru the All-Huge name damage with harm, the younger troupe was headlined by Rookie of the Year contender VJ Edgecombe, who took home MVP honors.
On Saturday, the league’s high-tier skills mask their abilities within the three-point contest, Taking pictures Stars competition and slam dunk contest. Most notably, Damian Lillard took home the three-point contest irrespective of an Achilles harm that has saved him out the entire season. Crew Knicks (Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Allan Houston) followed up Lillard’s performance by winning the Taking pictures Stars competition forward of the Miami Heat‘s Keshad Johnson obtained the slam dunk contest.
In the damage, on Sunday, three famous particular person-stacked groups will steal the stage in a original format that rosters American players against international players. Can Victor Wembanyama lead Crew World against Kevin Durant and Crew Stripes? Or will Anthony Edwards damage the relaxing leading Crew Stars?
Our NBA insiders gave a sneak preview of what to scrutinize heading into the 2026 NBA All-Huge name Weekend, in conjunction with who they pick to win every tournament.
Expert picks were voted on by a panel of NBA insiders.
Previews: Rising Stars | Saturday abilities | USA vs. World tournament
Saturday’s takeaways | Saturday’s results
All-Huge name Saturday’s takeaways
Overall takeaways
Damian Lillard’s triumphant return to the NBA stage captured the essence of what All-Huge name Weekend has forever been about: Inviting the fans and doing it with some aptitude.
Lillard was final considered on the court docket clutching the relieve of his leg real thru the NBA playoffs final season, shining his Achilles tendon was ruptured when he was a Milwaukee Buck.
The final thing somebody expected was him winning his third 3-point contest title not up to 9 months later, and doing it relieve in that Portland Path Blazers uniform he is change into so synonymous with.
He defeated Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel within the finals to steal home the trophy and tie Larry Bird and Craig Hodges for most 3-point contest wins.
In the aftermath, he spoke about doing this for the fans, prompting a bawl from the composed-arriving crowd.
As has change into routine real thru the final decade, the three-point contest brings out the right names, storylines and drama — relative to the forever underwhelming Slam Dunk Contest since the celebrities would possibly possibly perchance perchance not agree to compete.
Miami Heat second-300 and sixty five days forward Keshad Johnson was giddy to be there and ragged every bit of his 15 minutes of popularity to etch his name in history with a dunk contest victory, beating San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant. Bryant had some aptitude of his hang, but didn’t derive sufficient vitality to attach down his final dunk — which ranked excessive in field.
The Novel York Knicks contingent of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Allan Houston and Rick Brunson took home the Taking pictures Stars trophy with a final-second win over a group that featured Knueppel, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson and outdated NBA participant Corey Maggette.
The day felt comparatively awkward given the early begin on the west cruise, but the gang was engaged by the cease, even supposing there weren’t huge stars delivering on the growing atmosphere. Presumably it is one thing the NBA, eternally prepared to tinker with its midseason showcase, will steal a behold at forward of subsequent season in Phoenix. — Vincent Goodwill
Slam dunk contest
The Miami Heat’s Keshad Johnson seemed happiest to be on the dunk contest — an tournament that customarily lacks vitality as the premier tournament of All-Huge name Weekend — on Saturday evening and maybe that was fitting, as he ultimately walked away from the trophy.
The second-300 and sixty five days forward defeated San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant within the final, when Bryant couldn’t convert a artistic between-the-legs, over-the-head dunk. The 2 evolved to the final over Los Angeles Lakers heart Jaxson Hayes and Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson.
Richardson had a horrifying second when he fell flat on his relieve real thru a dunk strive, getting comparatively stuck on a 360 dunk. Fortunately, he popped relieve up and executed his subsequent probability — nearly capturing the spirit of the dunk contest his dad, Jason, did as a two-time winner of the contest within the early 2000’s.
Johnson brought out rapper E-40 in his introduction and ultimately leapt over him while cupping the ball on his first dunk, surprising many within the gang who hadn’t considered or heard a lot from him forward of.
And despite the incontrovertible fact that it took him just a few tries within the final, he attach his final dunk away with ease, earning a detailed to perfect derive from the judges.
It attach the tension on Bryant, who couldn’t entire his makes an attempt within the allotted time forward of striking away a classic dunk appropriate so he would possibly possibly perchance perchance register a derive.
In the cease, Heat czar Pat Riley stood to his toes while Johnson danced in birthday party as the winner. — Goodwill
Taking pictures Stars
Crew Knicks had its work within the low cost of out for it, with Crew Cameron (Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson, Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel and outdated NBA participant Corey Maggette) hitting a bevy of half-court docket photos to attach the tension on Allan Houston, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to beat the clock and hit deep photos of its hang. Crew Knicks wished four half-court docket photos to win, and Towns unleashed from 30 toes to carry the team nearer, while Brunson played the finisher to clinch the Taking pictures Stars competition.
“I felt very confident in our team, especially Allan Houston,” Towns said afterward.
The NBA has tried assorted variations of this, at cases the use of WNBA players and most lately, deploying a abilities competition that didn’t return after final 300 and sixty five days’s debacle in San Francisco.
This competition had a twist, with Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father, delivering passes to the shooters. Houston, now within the Knicks’ front residing of job, was one in all essentially the most prolific 3-point shooters real thru his NBA days and showed his abilities from midrange, while the hot Knicks hit from deep to seal the victory. — Goodwill
3-point contest
The 3-point contest got here all the device down to two repeat winners and one original kid on the block — it failed to disappoint.
Portland Path Blazers famous particular person Damian Lillard obtained for the third time within the final four years — turning into the third three-time winner since the competition began in 1986 — to thwart the Phoenix Suns‘ Devin Booker from winning his second and Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel from winning his first.
This win would possibly possibly well need been essentially the most impressive of his three, as Lillard entered the shootout irrespective of not taking part in a game all season for the Blazers as he recovers from a torn Achilles.
“To get some competition, feel a little pressure, get in front of the fans again is a great experience,” Lillard advised NBC on the court docket after receiving the trophy.
Booker went final within the final round and had a shot at beating Lillard’s derive of 29, but he uncared for his final three “money ball” photos — which would possibly possibly well were price two beneficial properties apiece — to stall out at 27 beneficial properties and fall two beneficial properties wanting Lillard. — Dave McMenamin
Saturday’s results
3-point champion: Damian Lillard (Portland Path Blazers)
Taking pictures Stars champion: Crew Knicks (Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Alan Houston)
Knueppel and Queen usher within the next wave of Rising Stars
There’ll possible be a Cooper Flagg-formed void on this tournament, with a foot sprain sidelining 2025’s No. 1 pick for the length of the weekend. Plus, outdated No. 2 pick Alex Sarr will possible be absent from Friday’s faceoffs after sustaining a appropriate hamstring tension, that will preserve him out for 2 weeks. The game must composed composed be a relaxing highlight for the derive 2025 draft class, with Kon Knueppel, Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe all on assorted groups. Stephon Castle, reigning Rookie of the Year, is one in all the tip second-300 and sixty five days players piquant. In the muse, I’d derive picked Flagg’s team to win the mini-tournament, but with him sidelined, I tell I will steal Crew Vince, which involves Edgecombe, Derik Queen and Matas Buzelis. Whether I am appropriate or inferior, I am prepared to wager history would possibly possibly perchance perchance not undergo in thoughts on this case. — Jeremy Woo
Game 1: Crew Melo 40, Crew Austin
Game 2: Crew Vince 41, Crew T-Mac 36
Game 3: Crew Vince 25, Crew Melo 24
Winner: Crew Vince
Superstar takeover!
Friday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The famous particular person game returns with familiar faces on the court docket, but what stands out this 300 and sixty five days is the incontrovertible fact that two recent NBA governors will participate — the Phoenix Suns‘ Mat Ishbia and the Charlotte Hornets‘ Rick Schnall, who derive a blended age of 103.
On the other hand, history says in the case of the famous particular person game, age is appropriate a amount. Long-established U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan mechanically showed up while taking part in in his tiring 40s/early 50s (he obtained MVP in 2014 at 49).
NFL famous particular person wide receivers Keenan Allen and Amon-Ra St. Brown will steal the court docket, too, besides to ESPN’s hang NBA insider Shams Charania. Fortunately, the switch time restrict is within the relieve of us, which formulation Charania can play phone-free. — Anthony Gharib
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 3, 2026
Legendary team-ups, excessive-flying dunks and Dame Time for All-Huge name Saturday
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
Can Spida damage Dame Time?
Any of the eight 3-point contestants would possibly possibly perchance perchance net hot for a minute and invent the winning derive. Nonetheless primarily based on every participant’s 3-point percentage on wide-begin 3s this 300 and sixty five days, primarily based on NBA Improved Stats, the favorites must composed be Donovan Mitchell (50% on wide-begin 3s), Norman Powell (49%) and Jamal Murray (forty eight%). Bobby Portis, Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Maxey are within the decrease 40s, while Devin Booker is all the kind down at 31%.
The eighth contestant is the wild card: Damian Lillard hasn’t played an NBA game since tearing an Achilles within the 2025 postseason. Nonetheless Lillard obtained this tournament in 2023 and 2024, and he would possibly possibly perchance perchance change into the first three-time winner within the Twenty first century. (Larry Bird and Craig Hodges every obtained three cases within the Eighties and Nineteen Nineties, respectively.) — Zach Kram
Expert picks: Damian Lillard
Novel faces and a family affair for the dunk contest
This isn’t essentially the most famous particular person-studded field within the dunk contest’s history, and three of the four contestants derive scarcely dunked in NBA games. Jaxson Hayes is a seven-300 and sixty five days outmoded alongside with his comely a part of slams from the heart location, but second-300 and sixty five days forward Keshad Johnson and inexperienced persons Carter Bryant and Jase Richardson derive recorded single-digit dunk tallies this season.
Now not not up to there is known particular person lineage on this field. Richardson’s father is Jason Richardson, who obtained relieve-to-relieve dunk contest crowns in 2002 and 2003 — just a few years forward of Jase was born. — Kram
Expert picks: Keshad Johnson
Whenever you happen to need upon a taking pictures famous particular person(s)
Rather than the abilities field, the NBA is bringing relieve the taking pictures stars competition, which previously ran from 2004 thru 2015 and featured three-particular person groups: a recent NBA participant, an NBA yarn and a WNBA participant.
There would possibly possibly be not any WNBA presence within the renewed competition, with a second recent participant joining the three-man groups as a replacement. Two parts of this 300 and sixty five days’s groups stand out: Crew Harper — with Ron Harper as the NBA yarn and Dylan and Ron Jr. as the hot NBA players — offers a compelling family element, while first-time All-Huge name Jalen Johnson‘s presence on Crew Cameron is ironic, given that Johnson controversially left Duke University within the heart of his freshman season to contend with his preparation for the draft. — Kram
Expert picks: Crew Knicks
World vs. homegrown? What to scrutinize within the All-Huge name game
Sunday, 5 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
In its most modern attempt to inject some life into the NBA’s midseason showcase, the league is leaning into NBC’s Olympic coverage by deploying a Crew USA versus The World format. Sadly, though, the three-team round-robin tournament has already misplaced some main contributors, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Stephen Curry ruled out for the All-Huge name Game, with others to potentially prepare.
Level-headed, there isn’t any not up to just a few hope this format would possibly possibly perchance perchance inspire some attention-grabbing moments this weekend. The World roster parts handiest one guard (Jamal Murray), and he is the handiest participant beneath 6-foot-8. This additionally steadily is the final All-Huge name look for LeBron James, so maybe he’ll mask up to play, desirous to exit with a bang. Either formulation, it goes to abet as yet every other referendum on Adam Silver’s ongoing makes an attempt to salvage the tournament into one thing extra competitive to scrutinize. — Tim Bontemps
Game 1: Stars vs. World
Game 2: Stripes vs. Game 1 winner
Game 3: Stripes vs. Game 1 loser
Game 4: All-Huge name Championship
Expert picks: Crew World
