For nearly two decades, the United States’ February sports calendar has commanded global attention with its biggest spectacles: the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Weekend. Now that the Super Bowl’s thriller is behind us, the focus shifts to the NBA’s showdown that’ll run from Friday through Sunday in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the usual pattern, the Rising Stars game starts the festivities by featuring top young talents from the NBA and G League. However, there’s a major change that’ll see the tournament’s winner earn a spot in Sunday’s All-Star event that has also been modified.

Twenty-eight players have been selected and split into four teams for the Rising Stars’ three-game tourney. Spurs youngster Victor Wembanyama, who was initially included in the roster has been excused due to his involvement in Sunday’s All-Star game. Several injury replacements have also been made, with Anthony Black, Toumani Camara, Brandin Podziemski, Julian Strawther, Ausar Thompson, and Ryan Dunn stepping in.

The Rising Stars game is scheduled for 9 PM Eastern Time, which puts it at 2 AM West Africa Time. This will be followed by the Skills Challenge, the Three-Point Contest, and the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night, before the much-anticipated 74th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday at 8 PM Eastern Time, (2 AM on Monday in WAT).

After last year’s heavily criticised East vs West 397-point format outcome, the NBA has introduced a new tournament-style format. On Sunday, there’ll be four teams competing: three made up of NBA All-Stars, and one featuring the Rising Stars winner. Each game ends when a team reaches 40 points, as explained by NBA News.

A star-studded lineup headlines the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, with LeBron James making his record 21st appearance alongside perennial greats Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Nikola Jokić. James, Curry, and Durant headline Shaquille O’Neal’s team, with Jokić and debutant Wembanyama shining for Charles Barkley’s Global Stars. Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards and Knicks’ Jalen Brunson lead Kenny Smith’s Young Stars team.

The matchups on Sunday will see Barkley’s Global Stars take on Kenny’s Young Stars in the first game, while Shaquille O’Neal’s team will face Candace Parker’s Rising Stars in the second game. The winners of both games will then meet in the championship game.

Players on the championship-winning team will receive one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars each, while players on the second-place team will earn fifty thousand dollars each. Those on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive twenty-five thousand dollars each.