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Why 2026 All-Star Weekend Finally Felt Competitive

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We recap All-Star Weekend 2026 with clear winners, near-misses, and a real shift in effort. Ant and Wemby turned a showcase into a statement, while Edgecombe, Lillard, and the Knicks left with receipts.

• Rising Stars format and results
• VJ Edgecombe’s MVP case and clutch free throws
• Standouts: Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant, Reed Sheppard, Matas Buzelis
• Honest read on Ace Bailey’s slow night
• Shooting Stars win for Team Knicks, Team Cameron strong runner-up
• Dunk contest: Keshad Johnson’s finishing, Carter Bryant’s pivotal miss
• Three-point contest: Dame’s third crown, Booker’s money rack swing, Con Knueppel’s poise
• Curry’s 2027 pledge and dream 3PT finals
• All-Star competitiveness: Ant’s MVP, Wemby’s tone-setting, Kawhi’s 31
• Stars vs Stripes vs World dynamics, fatigue factor, and next year’s stakes

Did you believe that the all star game was in fact entertaining?
Did you believe that you would pay money to see this same thing next season?
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SPEAKER_00:

What's up, everybody? It's your favorite show's favorite show, get a bucket. I'm your host, Trey, as usual. Hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day. Now, today we got to talk about the NBA All-Star Weekends recap for 2026, right? It was a good one, not gonna lie to y'all. I'm gonna talk about a couple of events, such as the Rising Stars Challenge, the Shooting Stars Challenge, the Dunk Cest, the three-point shooting contest, and of course the All-Star game and how that looked. So, with that being said, ladies and gentlemen, let's go get right on into it with the Rising Stars Challenge. Now, we did have four teams, okay? Uh, Team Mello versus Team Austin in the first round, team Vince Carter versus T-Mack in the second round. So, you know, they picked the Cousins against one another, and then we had the winners of those two matches go up against each other for the championship game. So to be clear, Mellow's team did beat Austin and Austin Rivers, okay? Uh and Austin Rivers had the G-League team. And then Vince Carter's team beats T-Mac's team. Now, Vince's team ends up beating Mellow's team on a buzzer beater. Well, not technically a buzzer beater, but they had Vijay Edgecomb, who was, by the way, the MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge. He had 17 in the first game and then six in the second in the championship game. And well, his last two buckets were in fact two free throws. And that's what sealed the deal for them. To be clear, if he doesn't hit these, maybe Stephon Castle or somebody else wins it. Because Stefan Castle hit the game-winning shot for Mello's team. Or what would have been the game-winning shot if, well, VJ Edgecombe doesn't knock down these two free throws. But on the island, Edgecomb has the ball, drives, gets fouled, knocks down two free throws. Ergo, MVP. Plus, again, like I said, he did drop 17, which I do believe was the most points scored in any of these games, by the way. So again, shout out to Vijay Edgecomb. The 76ers do have a wonderful player on their hands. I think he pairs nicely with Tyrese Maxi and all them boys, but that's another discussion for another day. Because they weren't playing. VJ was. Along with some other notable players to mention, right? And I think all these players that I'm about to mention, maybe except for one, should have a decent NBA career, right? Like a pretty solid NBA career. Now we got Stefan Castle. We already knew he was going to be solid. Dylan Harper, who, by the way, did get the game-winning bucket on his brother in game one, by the way. He got a bucket over Ron Harbor Jr., like you do at the backyard, right? Well, he was up there too doing his thing. Carter Bryant looked good. And keep in mind, all three of those plays are on the Spurs. So pairing that with Victor Wimbenyama, the Spurs are looking really nice for the future. We got to also talk about Reed Shepard, who's on the Houston Rockets. Listen, if his playmaking comes along, his shot is beautiful. And I want to say he got like a 42-inch vertical, if I'm not mistaken. Like that sounds pretty ridiculous. So again, Reed Shepard is 6'3. Decent little, decent bunnies and a ratty on him. I think he can pan out nicely. Uh, Matez Buzales. Listen, I said this when he got drafted. I think the Bulls got something nice on their hands. Because anybody who shows the amount of passion that he did, I believe in, he wants to be in the NBA. He he admires NBA's history. He appreciates the moment. And I think that appreciation speaks highly of him and his work ethic. So the fact that, you know, he played well in the Rising Stars Challenge, I ain't mad at. Um, this person, I gotta mention, was kind of notable, but in a negative-ish way, Ace Bailey, right? He didn't really give me what I was looking for, he wasn't overly consistent. I was expecting him to try to dominate a little bit more. He didn't. I'm kind of like it was a little like lust, especially how people have been talking about Ace specifically recently. Oh, he's a 6'10 shooting guard. He's got to start showing me something at some point in time because I'm seeing some other players who are around his age that are outperforming him. And we can't say, oh, well, they're young because, well, I mean, look at Dylan Harper. His teammate last year, outplaying him. VJ Edgecomb, who was drafted ahead of Ace Bailey, outplaying him. Again, he wins MVP. Ace Bailey played three minutes in the championship game. Just saying, I'm a little bit worried some of Ace Bailey, but everybody else played well. Other players played well too, don't get me wrong. But those are my notable players, ladies and gentlemen. So for the Rising Stars Challenge, it was pretty good. Not gonna lie to you. It was pretty good. Now let's move on down to the shooting stars challenge, okay? Because that one was pretty good as well, too. My prediction was Team Knicks, and I said they would win. I said I was leaning towards the Knicks, and they did win. All right. I also said that Team Cameron was gonna give them a nice little run for any money. That's probably their best team to go up against. And I was also right with that one because they were the, in fact, the runner-up. So, I mean, you know, when you got Carl Anthony Towns and Alan Houston, like Jalen Brunson's your worst shooter. I'm expecting you do well meeting the Knicks. All right, now this may be y'all only hardware to bring back home this year, so enjoy it. But hey, Team Cameron boasted pretty well themselves with Con Canuple, Corey McGetty, and Jalen Johnson. That's you know what I'm saying? Like Team Duke out there, basically. That's what we really should have called them. But they did their thing, all right. Shout out to the Harper brothers as well, or the Harper family, because you know, Dylan, Ron, and Ron Jr., they did their thing. But it was it was Team Knicks for the shooting stars challenge. So, congratulations to the to the to the Knicks. Like I said, I don't know if y'all are gonna bring back a championship, so y'all better enjoy this one while you can. Now, to the event that people really really feel has been lackluster, or at least one of them, one of the two, right? Um, the dunk contest. Now, I did say Carter Bryant was gonna be my prediction to win it all. He didn't. Um, in fact, it was Keish, it was Kashad Johnson. Now, hear me out, hear me out. First and foremost, because congratulations, Keshad. All right, because like I said before, like I said on the preview, I didn't really know much about Buddy for real. For I think he's about a second-year player, right? He he he he can jump. I ain't gonna lie to you, he can jump. He had good explosion. Hear me out though. Carter Bryant, you know what I'm saying? Like, we I got we we got Vince Carter, we got Kobe Bryant, you know what I'm saying? Like, I just felt like it was his for the taking. And in fact, it was because if he had actually made his final dunk, I genuinely believe he would have won. But it didn't happen. So again, congratulations to Keshad Johnson because Carter Bryant messed up my daggone prediction. I'm telling you right now, Jace Richardson, you did well. Although he, although he fell on his tail, hit his head, looked a little scary. I'm glad you okay. But I I I was I was pulling for you a little bit. I thought it would look, I thought it would have been a little bit easier for you, optics-wise, given the fact that you're the smallest player on the on on the court. So, you know, you did your thing, plus your daddy won a dunk contest, it would have been a nice little narrative. Jackson Hayes might be the only person I'm gonna say congratulations to for actually doing what I said you was gonna do and not win. Because I didn't believe in Jackson Hayes at all, no disrespect. But the dunk contest won't be bad. Was it the best? No, we seemed much better, honestly. But at least Carter and Keshad gave us a nice, a nice entertaining event. So I appreciate them for that. But dunk contest, like I said, that went to Keshad. Carter, hope to see you again because you actually didn't do that bad. You really didn't do that bad. Now, oh, and and kudos for Keshad as well, too. Man was always dancing after every round. You know, he kept it up. I I commend anybody for keeping that same level of energy consistently because that can be a little tiring. I'm not gonna lie to y'all. Now, the next event, the three-point shooting contest. Listen to me. My prediction was Devin Booker, Khan Knupple, and Jamal Murray, I was gonna have in my championship bracket, right? I would have put bread on Norm Powell just in case, because he's the type of guy who might have actually snapped randomly and would have caught people by surprise, right? That's just his DNA, that's his makeup. But Book, Khan, and Jamal Murray were my three players. Go listen to the predictions if y'all don't believe me. Now, the actual winner was in fact Damian Lillard, who has now won this three times and almost in a row. He won it in 2023, 2024, missed 2025. He did win it in 2026. So he almost won it three times in a row. That's pretty spectacular when you think about it. Devin Booker lost this contest. Okay? Like Devin Booker missed four threes in a row with the money ball. And and and respectfully, I want to say he lost by like four points. I gotta double check that, maybe even five. But he didn't lose by that much. Like, if he hits maybe two or three of those basketballs, I think he wins. Let me make sure I'm right on that. But he was really close, he lost that contest. So next season, when I see this go to Phoenix, who knows? Devin might have a little chip on the shoulder. Also, shout out to Con Canuple. Because as a rookie, he played extremely well. Okay. Like he did really well for his folks for his first go round. Okay. But I think one thing that we gotta mention, because you know he's from the Charlotte Hornets, right? Well, I don't know if y'all know this, but Steph Curry has spent some time in Charlotte. And his daddy actually said that he was gonna be a good shooter. Now, Steph Curry came into the league and was he was he was shooting that thing, right? So at the end of this three-point contest, Steph Curry said he will be participating in 2027's three-point shooting contest. And to be clear, Steph Curry has also won this multiple times, 2015 and 2021. So if he wins it next year, which by by this math, he wins it every six years. Correct me if I'm wrong, but 2021 to 2027 is in fact six years. Now Devin Booker is hosting the event. So does he win it on his home on his home court? I don't know. We'll find out. But Steph Curry off history, and he's motivated because Damian Little also has three of them things too. And he's not the only Damian Little's not the only person to win it three times in a row. So can Steph Curry, the greatest shooter that we've seen, can he become the third three-point contestant to win it three times? We'll wait to find out. But I'm telling you right now, right now, come 2020 for 2026, I'm expecting Devin Booker and Steph Curry to headline the championship round next season. So pay attention to that. So that is a little exciting. And don't let us get Klay Thompson. Because I think Klay, Steph, and Devin Booker, that could be pretty smooth. I'm not gonna lie to y'all. I understand Damian Lillard could be in the thick of things too. Khan canuple as well. Khan got some time. No disrespect, Khan. You know you, my boy. We we from Duke. I get it. Dame, you three-time champ. I understand it respectfully. We're gonna slide everybody over because I want to see Steph D Book and Clay Thompson. Because they arguably have the three prettiest forms in the NBA. So, but the three-point contest was good. I thought it was smooth. And like I said, shout out to Damian Lillard for winning it three times, almost in a row, 2023, 2024, and 2026. Now, the event that we got to talk about, I think y'all have been waiting to hear, the All-Star game, ladies and gentlemen, it looked competitive, okay? And I think we gotta point out and call out who set the tone. As Anthony Edwards said, Wimby started it off. Like, like our like the youngest player in the All-Star lineup star like set the tempo. And then Ant also followed it up, too. Like both of those players are arguably can be perceived as the faces of the league at this point in time. Because again, they're leading the NBA All-Stars in terms of how their energy should have been played. They looked like two of the best players on the court at all times. At all times. Like the Stars, that was a young NBA American team, versus the world, right? The international players. Well, that was a two-point difference favoring the stars. Wimby still looked like a stud. So did Anthony Edwards. Now, some other players played well too, do not get me wrong. But those two stood out. Now, when the young team, young USA team, played against the old head USA team, the old heads actually won. That was a buy, that was a two-point difference. And mind you, all of these had dagger threes in both games, okay? So it was kind of crazy. But they were good entertainment, they were good entertainment. Now, here's the point where I think this bit the old head USA team in the tail. Because like I said, they beat the stripes. Under the stripes beat the stars, okay? The stripes are the old heads, stars are the young guns. After that, they play the world team who had a chip on their shoulder after losing to the stars, right? So you're getting almost the best of the world team. I mean, minus the fact that they didn't play with they didn't play Jokic, Giannis, or Luca or Shay. You're getting the best of the world, okay? And they almost won. It was a three-point difference, okay? Here's where I think it it bit the old heads in the tail. Because you now have to play three games back to back. One against the stars, which that was a two-point game, that was close. Then you have another one, which was relatively close against the world, and they were hungry because Wimby was trying to go off. And respectfully, if Kawhi Leonard does not drop 31 points in that game, I think the world actually, in fact, wins the game. Like that's just that's just my personal opinion. And again, this is without Jokik, Shay, Luca, or Giannis. So, I mean, it could have been kind of interesting how it panned out. The reason why I say it bit the old heads in the tail because they looked like they didn't have that much energy when they had to play the stars again. Like it was pure BTA. That's belt to ass, okay? It was a 47 to 21 game. And remember, we're playing 12-minute quarters. All right. So in 12 minutes, the stars almost like the stars had 47 points and the and the stripes had 21. That's great BTA work. Alright, and again, like I said, ladies and gentlemen, Anthony Edwards and Victor Wimbenyama looked like the best players across the board. After that, it was Kawhi. It was. Because again, that 31 performance was pretty spectacular. But as a result, the stars end up winning the whole thing. Ant-Man gets MVP. He looked like the best player on the floor most times. So I made a statement that Ant-Man is like definitive top 10, arguable top five. You might have to put that definitive top five in that mix now. Not arguable. Because he looked pretty spectacular. And he was playing defense as well, too. Like at the end of the game, they were trying to come back. I'm talking about against the stripes that first game. And Ant-Man and Cade Cunningham kind of carry the team on their back, to be clear. Ant ends up getting the last five points for their team, even steals the ball from Donovan Mitchell, who a lot of people respect highly. And I'm saying right now, Ant-Man is easily better than Donovan Mitchell. Ant-Man is easily better than a lot of the players on that stripe squad. And respectfully, if it won't for Darien Fox hitting that butt-naked open three, after he pumped fake sidesteps to the right, stars would have gone 2-0. And then gone to the championship game and potentially have won that one. Because you gotta remember, the the stripes, they still had to play against the world. So they still would have had to play three games. So there was a world where A, the stars could have gone three and oh, but you had to make it entertaining. So I get it. Like they had to lose that one. They had to. But overall, it was a good effort across the board. Victor Weminyama had 14 points game one, 19 points game two. Like I said, if if if if if Ant-Man didn't win, if they didn't win, the MVPs would have been, it could have been Kaid, it could have been Cade, but it would have been either Wimby or Kawhi Leonard, which that would have been Wimby's first MVP, that would all-star MVP. That would have been Kawhi's second All-Star MVP. Remember, Kawhi won the first ever Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP award. So now we about what six seasons into this thing? Ant-Man got the next one. I'm very curious who wins the eighth one as I think about it. That will be a nice one. I'm not gonna lie to you. But ladies and gentlemen, the reason why I said this looked competitive is because, again, Wimby set the tone with his aggression, and Rick recognized it, and said, nah, we got to win this. And and showed up as well, too. So what I'm realizing is these young players are coming to play. How will that make the old heads adjust? Because the old heads, during Braun's reign, right? During LeBron James's reign, because a lot of people try to say that he was the best player during this era. You could say Kevin Durant, you can say Steph Curry, but during those players' eras, we have definitely dipped in terms of play. I specifically remember LeBron James trying to guard, or Kobe Bryant guarding Braun, right? And Braun passing the ball away. He shied away from the moment. These young players didn't do that at all. So I'm loving the fact that these new players, these young guns, are not scared and they're ready to live up to the moment. So that's the reason why the all-star game has looked more competitive. It's because of the players, their energy, their belief in the actual game to give people the talent, to give people the product that we deserve. I look forward to seeing what next year's looks like. Especially when you got more healthy players coming back. Like Jason Tatum, what team would he be on? I'm very curious. What would the world look like with Giannis and Luca and Shay and Jokik? Because Jokik did play like five minutes in the first game, and then no more for the rest of the day. So what would that world team look like? Because let's not let's be clear too. They do have the height advantage over everybody. The athleticism favored the stars, though. And then the experience favored the stripes. So I'm definitely curious what happens next year. If we keep the same format, what happens if the world, what happens if everybody's healthy? Who ends up winning? Because I my prediction was I leaned the world. Because at least based on the listing that I saw, it was saying that Luca was about to play. I had some question marks, but cool. It said Yoke was about to play. I thought he might have played. It said Giannis was about to play, which I was very surprised at that one. I didn't believe it, but I you know they said it online, so it didn't blame online, not me. I knew Shay won't play. But I thought them other three were. And that could have been very scary to see. But since that did not happen, we get this. An entertaining game nonetheless. So, ladies and gentlemen, with all that being oh, and I gotta say this too. In that championship game, yeah, the stars beat the break. It was a 12 to 1 start, and the stripes looked like they had tired legs. Then you start coming back, it goes 18 to 9, and then after that, it goes 26 to 9. Like that was kind of tough. Like I said, stars look like the stars, and and and stripes look like they were just some old stripes. But next year should be entertaining. Because I think now the stripes got a chip on their shoulder. And also no Steph Curry. So what happens if he's injury free? That'll be cool. That would be cool to see. But they probably they could have lost too if Kawhi didn't have his 31-point game. So I'm very interested to see what happens next season. But ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that's this does conclude the end of the episode. So a decent amount of my predictions were all right. They were, they were on point. I had a couple people that just lost me the ball. It is what it is, you know. Like, tip of the cap to everybody, though. The All-Star weekend was not bad. I'll say that it was not bad. It this should be classified as entertaining. But, ladies and gentlemen, I want to hear from you all what your thoughts were. Did you believe that the all star game was in fact entertaining? Did you believe that you would pay money to see this same thing next season? I'm curious. Leave your thoughts and comments below. But, ladies and gentlemen, boys. And girls, that does conclude the end of the episode. So, like I said, I hope you all enjoyed the NBA All-Star Weekend as well as the show. My name is Trey. I'm the host of Get a Bucket. I hope you are all having a good one. Take care.