Man, the NBA All Star 2025 weekend was a weird one. Honestly, if you blinked, you probably missed the actual basketball.
It felt like we spent three hours watching Kevin Hart and various musical acts only for about 34 minutes of actual hoops to break out. That’s not even a joke—The Athletic actually clocked it. People were hyped because the league finally ditched the traditional East vs. West format after that 200-point defensive disaster in 2024. Adam Silver went bold. He gave us a four-team tournament at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Did it work? Well, it depends on who you ask.
The New Tournament Mess
The league split the stars into three teams drafted by the Inside the NBA crew—Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith. The fourth team was the "Rising Stars" bunch led by Candace Parker. Basically, they played to a target score of 40. First to 40 wins. It sounds cool on paper, kinda like a pickup game at the park but with millionaires.
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The problem was the flow. Or lack of it.
You’d get 12 minutes of intense, high-level basketball, and then? A 20-minute break for a tribute to a TV show or a MrBeast challenge. Jayson Tatum even said it was tough to stay warm. Imagine being one of the best athletes on Earth and having to sit through a presentation for a studio show that isn't even actually ending—it's just moving to a different channel.
Shaq’s OGs eventually took the crown.
Stephen Curry, the hometown hero, reminded everyone why he’s the greatest shooter ever. He dropped 12 points in the final game against Chuck’s Global Stars to secure a 41-25 win. Curry walked away with the Kobe Bryant Trophy as MVP, which honestly felt right for a game played in the Bay.
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Saturday Night Highlights (and a Triple)
If the Sunday game felt disjointed, Saturday night was where the real history happened.
- Mac McClung actually did it. He became the first person to three-peat as the Slam Dunk Contest champion. He jumped over a car. He jumped over Evan Mobley. He got four perfect 50s. People like to talk down on him because he’s a G-Leaguer, but the man is a walking highlight reel.
- Tyler Herro stole the 3-Point Contest. Damian Lillard was trying for his own three-peat, but he got bounced in the first round. Herro put up 24 in the finals to edge out Buddy Hield.
- The Spurs Loophole. This was probably the funniest part of the weekend. Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul tried to "cheat" the Skills Challenge by skipping the shooting portion to get a faster time. The fans booed them out of the building, and they got disqualified. You’ve gotta love CP3 trying to find a loophole even in a meaningless exhibition game.
The Curry vs. Sabrina Rematch That Wasn't
Everyone wanted to see Steph vs. Sabrina Ionescu again. After their showdown in Indianapolis, it seemed like a lock for San Francisco. Rumors were flying about a 2-on-2 featuring Klay Thompson and Caitlin Clark.
It never happened.
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The NBA said they couldn’t "raise the bar" from the previous year. Translation? They couldn't get all the schedules to align. Caitlin Clark reportedly declined to focus on her WNBA debut season and her own All-Star game. It’s a bummer, because that shootout was the only thing everyone agreed was good the year before.
Why NBA All Star 2025 Still Matters
Despite the commercials and the "too many cooks in the kitchen" feel of the broadcast, we saw some real intensity. When the Rising Stars played Shaq’s OGs, the young guys actually tried. They wanted to embarrass the legends. That’s the "juice" Curry was talking about when he helped design this format.
The NBA is in this weird transition phase. They know the old way is dead. They’re trying to figure out how to make us care about a game where nobody wants to get injured. This tournament style showed flashes of brilliance, but it was buried under too much "entertainment."
Actionable Insights for the Future of All-Star:
- Watch the Condensed Highlights: If you value your time, don't watch the full three-hour broadcast of these events. The actual basketball is great, but the fluff is suffocating.
- Keep an Eye on Target Scores: The "Elam Ending" style (playing to a specific number) is here to stay. It forces a game-winning shot, which is always more exciting than a clock running out on a foul.
- Regional Bias is Real: If you're betting on future MVPs, look at the host city. The league almost always tries to find a way for the hometown star (like Curry in 2025) to have a "moment."
The 2025 edition proved that while the NBA has the best talent in the world, they still haven't mastered the art of the variety show. It was a step forward in competition, but two steps back in pacing.