What Is the NBA Rising Stars Challenge?
The NBA Rising Stars Challenge is one of the signature events on NBA All-Star Weekend, featuring the top up-and-coming prospects in basketball. Twenty-eight players from the NBA and NBA G-League participate in a three-game mini-tournament, featuring two semifinal games and a championship. Read on to learn more about the NBA Rising Stars Challenge, including the format and how player selection works.
- Venue: Vivint Arena (changes yearly)
- Location: Salt Lake City, Utah (changes yearly)
- Date: February 17th, 2023 (changes yearly)
- First Game: 1994
- 2022 Winner: Team Barry
- 2022 MVP: Cade Cunningham
Player Selection
The seven NBA G-League players in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge are selected by the NBA league office. These are players who have been exceptional in the NBA’s development league throughout the current season.
The remaining 21 players in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge are all on NBA rosters. The players selected for the game must be either “rookies” or “sophomores,” meaning it is either their first or second year in the league after they were drafted. Rookies and sophomores are selected through a ballot, voted on by NBA assistant coaches.
Format
The format of the Rising Stars tournament is very simple. The seven G League players form one of the four teams. Meanwhile, the remaining 21 players are divided up into three teams of seven through a draft process, in which they are selected by the “Legendary Coaches,” three former NBA players who are chosen to serve as the honorary heads of the Rising Stars teams. The G League team also receives an honorary coach. The teams then play each other in a bracket-style tournament, with the two initial games having a target score of 40 and the final game having a target score of 25 to win.
Awards and Prizes
The major award given out at the end of the NBA Rising Stars Challenge is the NBA Rising Stars Challenge MVP Award. This award is given to the player who performs the best in the challenge overall. The award can be given out to a player who is on any team, even if that team lost the game or tournament. Notable past winners of the NBA Rising Stars Challenge MVP Award include:
- Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (2022)
- Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets (2020)
- Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers (2019)
- Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers (2012)
- Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder (2009)
- Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets (2005)
As of the 2019 Rising Stars Challenge, players also reportedly received a $25,000 bonus if they were members of the winning team, though previously, information on whether players received such a bonus was not disclosed.
FAQ
What is the NBA Rising Stars Game?
The NBA Rising Stars Game is an exhibition game held every year on the Friday before the NBA All-Star Game. The game features the league’s best young players facing off in a miniature tournament consisting of four teams of seven players. The game is currently sponsored by Air Jordan, and is also known as the Jordan Rising Stars Challenge.
What is the NBA Rising Stars Game MVP Award?
The NBA Rising Stars Game MVP Award is given out every year to the young player who performs the best in the Jordan Rising Stars Challenge. In 2022, the MVP Award was given to Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, who was the first player to win the MVP Award under the new miniature-tournament format of the Rising Stars Game.
Do players make extra money for winning the NBA Rising Stars Game?
Whether or not players make extra money for winning the NBA Rising Stars Game is not officially confirmed by the NBA, but in 2019, NBA Rising Stars Game MVP Kyle Kuzma stated publicly that members of the winning team allegedly received a $25,000 bonus for winning. Kuzma cited the bonus as one factor in his determination to win for his teammates. Though it is logical to assume that players still receive a bonus for winning the NBA Rising Stars Game, no updated figures have been released since 2019.