Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are legit, big-time NBA stars — not “pretty big stars for a rookie” or names only hoop fans know. Wembanyama is fourth in the NBA in jersey sales this season. People tune in to watch them.
Which is why grabbing those two for the NBA Rising Stars games All-Star weekend was a big deal.
Tuesday the NBA announced the 28 players invited to the Rising Stars games, which take place Friday night (Feb. 16) of All-Star weekend at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Seven players are from the G-League, who will be one of the four teams in the mini-tournament format the league now uses for the event. The players invited are (in alphabetical order):
Rookies
Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards)
Keyonte George (Jazz)
Jordan Hawkins (Pelicans)
Scoot Henderson (Trail Blazers)
Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
Jaime Jaquez (Heat)
Dereck Lively II (Mavericks)
Brandon Miller (Hornets)
Brandin Podziemski (Warriors)
Cason Wallace (Thunder)
Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Sophomores
Paolo Banchero (Magic)
Dyson Daniels (Pelicans)
Jalen Duren (Pistons)
Jaden Ivey (Pistons)
Walker Kessler (Jazz)
Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers)
Keegan Murray (Kings)
Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers)
Jabari Smith Jr. (Rockets)
Jalen Williams (Thunder)
G League Players
Izan Almansa (G League Ignite)
Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite)
Ron Holland (G League Ignite)
Mac McClung (Osceola Magic)
Tyler Smith (G League Ignite)
Oscar Tshiebwe (Indiana Mad Ants)
Alondes Williams (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
The players are divided into four teams, coached by former NBA and WNBA players Pau Gasol, Jalen Rose, and Tamika Catchings, with Detlef Schrempf coaching the G-League squad. This is the third year the NBA has used this tournament format, and it’s pretty simple: Two semi-final games are played to a target score of 40, with the two winners facing off in a championship game played to a target score of 25. This format provided a little more competition than years past, although nobody is tuning into this game to see high-level defense.
They are tuning in to see future stars — and current ones like Wembanyama and Holmgren.
