The Detroit Pistons closed out the 2026 NBA All-Star weekend on a victorious note. Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and J.B. Bickerstaff represented Team Stars in the new NBA All-Star Game format series. Their team participated in three of the four matchups on Sunday. With the first and final games resulting in wins, Team Stars walked away as the champs of the weekend.
The Pistons' trio played a significant role in each game played during the new All-Star format. Cunningham and Duren started in a couple of the rounds while Bickerstaff was the head coach for Team Stars. Each of the Pistons shared immense pride in the opportunity to share the moment on the same team.
“It was a blessing, man. Being around the guys I go to war with every day in an environment like this at the highest level. It's a blessing, we were all thankful to be here, and we feel lucky to be here,” Cunningham stated, per Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press.
The first matchup ended with Team Stars on top, defeating Team World 37-35. Round two finished with a loss for Team Stars as Team Stripes came out victorious with a 42-40 final score. Team Stars sat for round three as Team Stripes kept Team World winless with a 48-45 victory. Round four concluded with the biggest score margin as Team Stars blew out Team Stripes from start to finish with a final score of 47-21.
Cunningham and Duren left their mark on all three rounds for Team Stars. Detroit's starting point guard finished the weekend with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Duren ended his All-Star debut with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. One of Duren's biggest plays was a game-winning assist to Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes for a clinching 3-pointer over Team World.
All-Star competitions normally do not focus heavily on defense, but that was not the case this year. The Pistons are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and that energy translated through the effort of all three teams.
Team Stars featured a majority of the NBA's up-and-coming American stars. Team Stripes had most of the proven veteran NBA stars from America. Team World was exclusively slated to the international talent featured in the league. Bickerstaff was proud of the new format and spoke on what it meant to have his players and coaching staff a part of the experience.
“It was awesome to be together. To be with guys that you spend so much time with, but to watch them be celebrated and be highlighted for something they have earned,” Bickerstaff explained to the media after the All-Star games finished. “This is not easy to get here, and it's just special to be able to sit next to them and watch the respect that their peers have for them. You always want to be judged and graded by your peers and earn their respect, and I feel like our guys have done that.”
Cunningham was making an argument for All-Star MVP until the final round picked up. Minnesota Timberwolves Anthony Edwards walked away with the MVP trophy after a sensational scoring performance.
