The San Antonio Spurs boasted three All-Stars at the main event in Los Angeles, and all of them put on a show.
Victor Wembanyama and Team World may have been the first team eliminated from the NBA All-Star Tournament, but the Alien and Anthony Edwards helped save the flailing event.
After promising to give fans a show and bring a refreshing, two-way effort, Wembanyama didn't disappoint, bringing defensive intensity to the long-stale All-Star Game. In the first game, against Team USA Stars, Wembanyama posted 14 points, six rebounds, and three blocks, although Edwards rose to the moment, and the young Americans took the game in overtime.
Wembanyama and the international squad would have to sit out a game, and upon his return, Kawhi Leonard went nuclear, scoring 31 points in 12 minutes.
READ MORE: San Antonio Spurs Boast Two Top Defenders
San Antonio Spurs Were All Over All-Star Game
The NBA broadcast was quick to make every moment about Wembanyama, although De'Aaron Fox had the best moment of any Spur at the All-Star Weekend events, hitting a game-winning 3-pointer against the Stars to get the veteran Stripes team their first win.
Fox, the last player named to the All-Star Team, took a backseat for much of the Stripes' first game, although he hit one of the bigger shots of the tournament, following up Scottie Barnes' Game One overtime winner with a buzzer beater of his own.
Mitch Johnson and his Spurs' coaching staff, who are leading the Stripes Team, were ecstatic.
The two American teams would go on to meet in the Finals, with the Stars winning 47-21 in a blowout.
Tyrese Maxey led all scorers in the championship game with nine, and Fox added only two points of his own, so it's safe to say that his defining moment came in his first game against the Stars.
Both Fox and Wembanyama were making their second All-Star appearances, and both are expected to remain fixtures of the event, regardless of how Adam Silver and the NBA plan to present the tournament in the coming seasons. The competitive level was at an all-time high, and there was an appropriate amount of highlight-worthy plays as well as defensive effort.
While the round robin tournament format was met with some backlash, the main priority--bringing back some fire--was certainly a success. As Team World hopes to bounce back before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Wembanyama now has a chip on his shoulder, which should be scary for the rest of the NBA as the Spurs prepare to make a playoff push.