NBA All Star 2026 recap: Winners and losers from intense USA vs World battle and shaky dunk contest | NBA News
Anthony Edwards brought real energy back to NBA All Star 2026 in Los Angeles. That was the biggest headline from the weekend. The new USA vs the World format helped. The main games were close. Players actually tried. Even though Intuit Dome had many empty seats during the weekend, Sunday night felt different. Three of the four games were decided by three points or less. That made fans feel like All Star basketball mattered again. At the same time, not everything worked. The dunk contest lacked star power. Some big names did not fully engage. So while competitiveness returned, there are still clear fixes needed.
Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama and Kawhi Leonard spark real competition in NBA All Star 2026
Anthony Edwards won All Star MVP, but he quickly gave credit to Victor Wembanyama. He said, “I am not going to lie, Wemby set the tone. He came out playing hard, so it is hard not to match that.”From the opening tip, both teams played defense. When Scottie Barnes hit a three pointer to beat Team World, Wembanyama looked frustrated. He wanted to win badly. That emotion showed how much the game meant.Kawhi Leonard also reminded everyone of his level. The injury replacement scored 31 points as Team Stripes eliminated Team World.Reason for the winners:
- Anthony Edwards set the pace and won MVP
- Victor Wembanyama played with visible intensity
- Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points in a big performance
- Three close games made the event feel serious again
Damian Lillard , VJ Edgecombe shine while Luka Doncic , Nikola Jokic and dunk contest fall short
Damian Lillard created one of the best stories of the weekend. He is recovering from a torn Achilles and is not expected to play this season. Still, he won the three point contest for the third time. He did it wearing a Portland Trail Blazers jersey, which meant a lot to fans.VJ Edgecombe impressed in the Rising Stars event. The Philadelphia 76ers rookie scored 10 straight points and later hit two clutch free throws to win the final by one point.On the other side, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic did not leave a strong mark. They played limited minutes due to injuries. After the game, Anthony Edwards said, “No shade towards Luka and Jokic, but they are two of the best players in the league. They are not trying to play in the All Star game.”The dunk contest also struggled. Keshad Johnson won. Carter Bryant had the only perfect score. Still, the overall show lacked excitement. Mac McClung, who had won three straight, did not participate. He told HoopsHype’s Cyro Asseo, “They were calling me, being like ‘People did not want to do it if I was doing it,’ and I thought it is best if I just sit out this year and let it be.”Key losers from the weekend:
- Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic had limited impact
- Dunk contest lacked big names and creative dunks
- Zaccharie Risacher scored zero in four minutes in Rising Stars
- Shams Charania went scoreless in the celebrity game after Giannis Antetokounmpo said, “He cannot hoop.”
NBA All Star 2026 felt different because the players actually cared and played hard. If the league fixes the dunk contest and keeps this same effort, the weekend can truly feel big again.
