Who are the players on the Rising Stars team that will play in the NBA All-Star Game?
Once again, the All Star Weekend event will bring together the best first and second year players and stars from the Development League.
The Castrol Rising Stars game has become a staple of the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. This year, Team C will play in the All-Star having won the tournament.
Introduced in 1994, the event was designed to showcase the league’s youngest talent and expand the entertainment offerings for the NBA’s mid-season holiday weekend. Originally, the game featured only rookies—first-year players. In 2000, sophomores (second-year players) were added to the mix. By 2011, the format shifted from a simple duel between two teams to a combined Rising Stars game, replacing what was previously known as the “Rookie Challenge.” In 2022, the G League Development League was integrated into the event.
Another look at Bryce McGowens’ GAME-WINNER to give Team G League the 40-39 victory in Game 1 of #CastrolRisingStars! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/eycZlp4zDG
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 15, 2025
That same year marked the NBA’s 75th anniversary. To celebrate, historic NBA legends coached four teams of seven players: 12 NBA rookies, 12 sophomores, and four members from the G League Ignite—a promising project that faced challenges. The teams competed in two semifinal matchups using a target score format, where the first team to reach 50 points advanced. In the final, the target score was set at 25 points.
These numbers (50 and 25) totaled 75 to symbolize the league’s milestone anniversary. By 2023, the selection process changed, with assistant coaches and NBA executives selecting 21 players—rookies and sophomores—along with the seven best players from the G League (no longer exclusively from Ignite). The semifinal target score was lowered to 40, while the final remained at 25. The winner earned an additional prize: the opportunity to become the fourth team in Sunday’s All-Star Game, facing a team composed of top NBA players, including Castle, Knecht, Wells, George, Edey, Dunn, and Jackson-Davis.
In 2025, to honor San Francisco’s NBA heritage, the three teams of NBA players were coached by Run TMC members—Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin—the legendary Warriors trio from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The fourth team, featuring G League players, was coached by Jeremy Lin, who began his career with the Warriors in the Bay Area.
The 2025 Rising Stars game at the Chase Center also featured the following rosters:
Team C (Chris Mullin): Stephon Castle (Spurs, rookie), Dalton Knecht (Lakers, rookie), Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies, rookie), Keyonte George (Jazz, sophomore), Zach Edey (Grizzlies, rookie), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Warriors, sophomore), Ryan Dunn (Suns, rookie, replacing Jared McCain of the Sixers).
Team T (Tim Hardaway):Brandin Podziemski (Warriors, sophomore, replacing Cason Wallace of the Thunder), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Heat, sophomore), Gradey Dick (Raptors, sophomore), Anthony Black (Magic, sophomore, replacing Dereck Lively II of the Mavericks), Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks, rookie), Alex Sarr (Wizards, rookie), Tristan da Silva (Magic, rookie).
Team M (Mitch Richmond):Amen Thompson (Rockets, sophomore), Ausar Thompson (Pistons, sophomore, replacing Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs), Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards, sophomore), Julian Strawther (Nuggets, sophomore, replacing Scoot Henderson of the Trail Blazers), Toumani Camara (Trail Blazers, sophomore, replacing Brandon Miller of the Hornets), Matas Buzelis (Bulls, rookie, replacing Yves Missi of the Pelicans), Bub Carrington (Wizards, rookie).
Team G League:J.D. Davison (Maine Celtics), Mac McClung (Osceola Magic), Bryce McGowens (Rip City Remix), Leonard Miller (Iowa Wolves), Dink Pate (Mexico City Capitanes), Reed Sheppard (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), Pat Spencer (Santa Cruz Warriors).
The roster included 10 rookies, 11 sophomores, and seven G League players. Several players were replaced due to injury, including Jared McCain (Sixers rookie), Brandon Miller (Hornets sophomore), Dereck Lively II (Mavericks sophomore), Scoot Henderson (Trail Blazers sophomore), and Yves Missi (Pelicans rookie). Victor Wembanyama, expected to be a major draw, was absent as he made his All-Star debut on Sunday. Replacements included Ryan Dunn, Anthony Black, Toumani Camara, Ausar Thompson, Matas Buzelis, and Julian Strawther.
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