SAN FRANCISCO — Congratulations, Team C.
You’ve won the Rising Stars competition.
Your reward?
A trip to the All-Star Game on Sunday night — where LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are among those who’ll be waiting in the second semifinal.
San Antonio’s Stephon Castle scored 12 points, Keyonte George had a 3-pointer for the game-winning score and Team C beat Team G League — composed of players from the NBA’s developmental league — 25-14 in the championship game of the Rising Stars competition to open All-Star weekend on Friday night.
Stephon Castle won Rising Stars Challenge MVP. Getty ImagesExplore More
Combined, the seven players on Team C — Castle, George, Phoenix’s Ryan Dunn, Memphis teammates Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells, Golden State’s Trayce Jackson-Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dalton Knecht — have a combined 5,028 points, 25 double-doubles and no triple-doubles in their NBA careers. (An eighth player will be added before Sunday.)
It’ll face the team drafted by Shaquille O’Neal in the All-Star semifinal, meaning Team C will take on James, Curry, Durant, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Damian Lillard and James Harden.
Keyonte George and Ryan Dunn of Team C celebrate against Team G League against Team G League during the Castrol Rising Stars Game as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on February 14, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NBAE via Getty ImagesThat team, combined: 7,577 NBA games, 188,331 points, 1,812 double-doubles, 243 triple-doubles.
But it’ll be a first-to-40 game on Sunday night, past stats not mattering much.
The NBA stars will surely feel some pressure against a young team that has nothing to lose.
“Nobody will want to lose to that team,” Curry said.
Keyonte George of the Utah Jazz and Team C reacts as Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic and Team T guards him during the 2025 NBA All-Star Rising Stars Game at Chase Center. Getty ImagesDink Pate of the Mexico City Capitanes and Leonard Miller of the Iowa Wolves each had five points for the G League team in the Rising Stars final.
Three of the teams in the Rising Stars tournament were named in honor of Golden State’s famed Run TMC days. Team T was named for Tim Hardaway Sr., Team C for Chris Mullin and Team M for Mitch Richmond.
