The 24 players selected for the 2025 All-Star Game were drafted on a Thursday pre-game TNT show by coaches Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, and later announced by the NBA (Twitter link).
The players were previously sorted into groups of starters and reserves, but that had no bearing on their team placement for the new mini-tournament in this year’s game.
Below are each team’s selections, sorted in order of pick:
Team Shaq
- LeBron James, Lakers
- Stephen Curry, Warriors
- Anthony Davis, Mavericks
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics
- Kevin Durant, Suns
- Damian Lillard, Bucks
- James Harden, Clippers
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics
O’Neal had the first overall pick in the televised draft, selecting James, who holds the record for most All-Star appearances in a career. For the most part, O’Neal opted for the “old guard” of the NBA, so to speak. His team has a whopping 87 All-Star appearances (including this year) among its eight players.
The roster also unites a handful of players. Durant spent this week in trade rumors, with reports indicating he didn’t want to be traded to Curry’s Warriors. The two players were teammates for three seasons. This also will mark the first time James and Davis will play together since the blockbuster move that brought Doncic to L.A. Additionally, Curry, James, Durant, Tatum and Davis all played together on the 2024 U.S. men’s Olympic Team.
Team Kenny
- Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks
- Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies
- Jalen Williams, Thunder
- Darius Garland, Cavaliers
- Evan Mobley, Cavaliers
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons
- Tyler Herro, Heat
In contrast to O’Neal’s roster, Smith opted for some of the younger stars across the league. Smith’s team has a combined 13 All-Star nods to their name — Williams, Mobley, Cunningham and Herro are all first-timers. Smith united a pair of Cavaliers, with Mobley and Garland joining forces.
Team Chuck
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
- Pascal Siakam, Pacers
- Alperen Sengun, Rockets
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
Barkley went for a mix of experience in his group. He secured the top three expected players in the MVP race this season between Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Gilgeous-Alexander. He also landed Wembanyama with the 12th overall pick. Barkley’s group has a combined 35 All-Star honors, with Sengun and Wembanyama as first-time All-Stars and Antetkounmpo (nine) and Jokic (seven) leading the way.
A fourth team coached by Candace Parker will play in the tournament. She’ll be coaching whichever team wins this year’s Rising Stars Challenge — those rosters were announced earlier this week. Two teams will meet in a semifinal (game one) while the other two also play each other (game two). The winning team from each game moves on to the final round.
The four teams participating in the NBA All-Star Game will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million. Each player on the team that wins the final will receive $125,000, while members of the second-place team earn $50,000. Players on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.