The NBA competition committee has been searching for ways to incentivize players to give it their all during the All-Star Game. They've experimented with multiple formats, which has then taken them to the three-team, Team USA vs. Team World format that they used for this year's festivities. In the end, the USA Stars team won the entire thing, taking a convincing 47-21 win over the USA Stripes squad in the final of the competition — with Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards taking home ASG MVP honors.
Edwards dropped 32 points across three games (two wins), and he emerged as Team Stars' most consistent bucket-getter. The Timberwolves star was clearly feeding off of the energy of the game, especially when he was coming up against almost all the other best players in the association.
For what it's worth, Edwards gave his stamp of approval towards the new All-Star Game format, although it's hard to blame the Timberwolves star for thinking this way considering how he had so much success this year.
“I know they ain’t gon’ really take in what I’m saying, but I like this format. I think it makes us compete, ‘cause it’s only 12 minutes. There different teams, you separate the guys. I think it was really good,” Edwards said, via ClutchPoints Washington Wizards beat reporter Joshua Valdez.
Anthony Edwards on the new All-Star Game format 🗣️
“Yeah. I know they ain’t gon’ really take in what I’m saying, but I like this format. I think it makes us compete, ‘cause it’s only 12 minutes. There different teams, you separate the guys. I think it was really good.”
(via… pic.twitter.com/61cKUVIpVx
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 16, 2026
Will NBA continue tinkering with All-Star Game format?
Players like Edwards certainly have a say in what the competition committee would do moving forward. While it's certainly something different to see four different games decide which team wins the exhibition contest, perhaps this kind of new format simply needs time to marinate.
Alas, this NBA All-Star Weekend was very divisive; a good portion of the league's fanbase found the festivities very boring, including the All-Star Game. However, a few players, such as the Timberwolves star, believe as though the new format raised the stakes a bit and made them play with a bit more force — something that the league will definitely be taking into account.
