NBA All-Star week from Los Angeles begins Friday, with the highlight of the first night being the Rising Stars Challenge. The showcase, designed to give the best young players in the league the chance to take center stage, will have more juice than normal because this year’s rookie class has been one of the best in recent memory.
However, the leading candidate for rookie of the year won’t be playing. Mavericks star Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in last summer’s NBA Draft, will miss the Rising Stars Challenge due to a foot injury. Before suffering the injury, Flagg was on an offensive tear. He became the first teenager in NBA history to record back-to-back 30-point double-doubles last month. He also scored 49 points against the Hornets, which was the most by a teenager in NBA history.
NBA Rookie Rankings: Kon Knueppel stays on Cooper Flagg’s heels in ROY race
Jasmyn Wimbish
Despite Flagg being out, there are plenty of others worth keeping an eye on. Flagg’s college teammate at Duke, Kon Knueppel, has knocked down 183 3-pointers this season. He is on pace to shatter the rookie record held by Keegan Murray for the 3-pointers made. Murray knocked down 206 during the 2022-23 campaign.
Flagg and Knueppel were selected No. 1 and 2 overall in the Rising Stars draft by Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady, respectively. Anthony, McGrady, Vince Carter and Austin Rivers will be the four coaches for the event. Rivers will be coaching the best players from the G League.
While there have been plenty of stars from the rookie class, there will also be some notable second-year players participating. One of them is San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year. Castle will join forces with Dylan Harper and Reed Sheppard — the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft — on Team Melo.
The headliner on Team Vince is 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick from last summer’s draft. Edgecombe ranks third (14.9 points) among all rookies in scoring.
Where to watch 2026 NBA Rising Stars
Date: Friday, Feb. 13 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Intuit Dome — Los Angeles
TV channel: N/A | Streaming: Peacock
First round
- Game 1: Team Melo vs. Team Austin
- Game 2: Team Vince vs. Team T-Mac
Championship
- Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
Team Melo roster
Coach: Carmelo Anthony
*Injury replacement for Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)
Team T-Mac roster
Coach: Tracy McGrady
*Injury replacement for Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)
**Injury replacement for Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)
Team Vince roster
Coach: Vince Carter
*Injury replacement for Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)
Team Austin roster
Coach: Austin Rivers
*Injury replacement for David Jones García (Austin Spurs) and Mac McClung (Windy City Bulls)
Add Comment