The NBA All-Star Game was actually watchable in 2026, thanks in large part to San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game pleasantly surprised us all with a refreshing amount of competitiveness, effort, and exciting moments that were more than the glorified 3-point contests and uncontested dunking lanes the game could be defined as recently.
It was a new three-team, round-robin format that pitted the American-born veterans - or "OG's" - of Team USA Stars against the young guns of Team USA Stripes against the international stars of Team World.
It brought a heightened sense of intensity that felt like a blend of patriotism, nostalgia, and a taste of what the future of the league looks like. Simply put, this format led to players playing harder, thus satisfying what viewers had been missing.
This was all according to plan for San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama. The Frenchman competing for Team World began the first 12-minute game with an immediate two-hand flush followed by a knock-down three to get the evening started.
Leading up to the game he had promised to play hard, saying he hows it to the game "he cherishes" to play to win, regardless of the stakes.
As All-Star Game MVP Anthony Edwards for Team Stripes said after the event, Wemby "set the tone" with his aggressiveness and effort. It was an energy that quickly transferred to the opposite benches and transformed the spectacle into more than just a lousy walk-through scrimmage.
Wembanyama's international team would ultimately end 0-2 and be the first squad eliminated, but even the simple concept of losing an exhibition visibly made an impact on the Spurs center, who looked frustrated with on-court miscommunication as his team fell behind on the scoreboard.
Team Stars saw Scottie Barns nail a game-winning 3-pointer to beat Team World 37-35 in Game 1. The second matchup saw the U.S.-born veterans outlast the youngsters, 42-40, as Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox hit the game-sealing triple.
Team Stripes then earned a trip to the title game by beating Team World 48-45 behind Kawhi Leonard's 31-point heater, in which he shot 11-of-13 from the field and 6-of-7 from distance in his LA Clippers home of Intuit Dome.
Ending the night was a dominant serving of revenge for Team Stars, toppling the old heads 47-21.
"I think they ain't really going to take in what I'm saying, but I like this format," Edwards said. "I think it makes us compete because it's only 12 minutes, and the three different teams separate the guys. I think it was really good … I feel like the old heads played hard, too. They were playing real good defense."
Leonard's big night alongside future Hall-of-Fame teammates LeBron James and Kevin Durant nearly didn't happen, as he was a late add-in alternate.
"It was great," Leonard said. "Happy that Adam [Silver] let me in. That's what the home crowd wanted to see. I'm glad I was able to do something in that game. … It's always fun to go out and compete with those guys and just cherish the court with them. They're all legends, and they're playing great basketball."
The Saturday-night festivities, that saw an injured Damian Lillard win another 3-Point Contest title and Miami Heat youngster Keshad Johnson win an underwhelming Dunk Contest, may still need some work. But in terms of the All-Star Game accomplishing its objective of reigniting interest? Mission accomplished.
You can thank the Alien, in part, for that. Remember, it was Wembanyama's idea last season for a USA vs. World matchup in the first place.
He brought the intensity that turned his pitch into an entertaining product.
Don't be surprised if Wemby's advice is taken again and the format returns in 2027.