With the NBA All-Star proceedings ending, we take a look at the biggest winners and losers from the weekend.
The 2025 NBA All-Star weekend is now over, as Shaquille O’Neal’s OG squad won the inaugural All-Star tournament.
The NBA tried a new format this time, dividing the All-Star roster into three teams and inviting a team of Rising Stars to take part in a mini-tournament.
But the All-Star game wasn’t the only major event of the weekend. The annual dunk contest, three-point shooting challenge, and the skills challenge drew quite an audience.
With all that being said, we take a look at the biggest winners and losers from the 2025 NBA All-Star weekend.
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Tyler Herro ended up winning the NBA three-point contest. Playing against a slew of elite shooters, the first-time All-Star ended up taking the honors.
Herro, who represented the Miami Heat, put up a scintillating 24/40 score to get the win. His win puts the Heat back on top when it comes to the most wins by a franchise in the challenge.
Herro is having a great season, averaging 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists. His 38.0% three-point shooting for the season made fans forget just how much of a sniper he is from deep.
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Both Cameron Johnson and Norman Powell played really well coming into All-Star weekend. Johnson is averaging 19.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting 41.3% from deep.
As for Norman Powell, he averages 24.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 42.8% from beyond the arc. Both players were considered snubs from the All-Star lineup, especially Powell.
But when given the chance to prove the NBA wrong for doubting them, they both floundered. Both players shot a disappointing 14-40 and were eliminated in the first round.
Their disappointing showing became ammunition for the NBA to use to justify their snubs from the prestigious All-Star game.
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Mac McClung made history this weekend by winning the NBA Dunk Contest. This marks his third straight win in the contest, making him the first player ever to achieve this.
McClung isn’t even a regular NBA player, currently playing on a two-way contract with the Orlando Magic. In fact, McClung has been a two-way player all three years he won the dunk contest.
The dunk contest has definitely lost its bluster since the iconic 2016 event. But McClung’s incredible dunking prowess has been a regular highlight.
And truthfully, there was no other deserving winner on the night. Stephon Castle put on a good show. But only McClung could claim he dunked over the roof of a car.
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One might wonder why an entire contest made it onto the losers list. Well, all you need to do is watch Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul‘s attempts to understand.
Both players were disqualified for not attempting proper shots during the challenge. It was a blatant attempt from the Spurs duo to game the system.
A performance like this really shows how little players respect the format. And no matter how happy Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley might be with their win, this performance from Wemby and CP3 did not do much to elevate the prestige of the event.
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The OG squad of LeBron James (who pulled out last minute), Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Damian Lillard won the All-Star tournament.
For his performances, Stephen Curry was named the Kobe Bryant NBA All-Star MVP. Curry dropped a combined 20 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals across two games to earn the honor.
This marks Curry’s second All-Star MVP win, making him one of just 14 players to win the award twice. This win is extra special, as he got to do it in front of Golden State Warriors fans at the Chase Center.
But the entire squad can be happy about being the first to win in this unique new format. However, their win came at the expense of the most important group in the NBA.
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The NBA fanbase almost unanimously panned the 2025 NBA All-Star events. The All-Star tournament in particular earned a lot of criticism.
Like in recent years, players didn’t seem to put in much effort during games. In fact, Kyrie Irving was perhaps the only star who tried to put on a show.
Add to this the lackluster three-point contest, the skills challenge being taken for granted, and players playing at half-speed during the All-Star tournament, and we now have a very irritated NBA fanbase.
This weekend proved one thing in particular. Until NBA players start taking the All-Star game seriously, at least a little bit, no amount of format changes and sideshow antics will help improve the declining fan interest in the exhibition and showcase weekend for the league.
Fans are ready to buy in, but the NBA has not given them anything to sink their teeth into. The players must be held accountable, and something has to change on their side to make the All-Star games worth watching again.
