Jan. 14, 2026, 2:31 p.m. ET
The NBA announced that Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches for the Rising Stars Game as part of All-Star Weekend.
The annual event features four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament on Feb. 13 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The two semifinal games will be played to a target score of 40, and the championship game will be played to a target score of 25.
Anthony, Carter and McGrady will select their teams of rookies and sophomores in a draft set to air on Jan. 27 (7 p.m. EST, Peacock). Former 11-year veteran Austin Rivers will coach the fourth team, which will be comprised of G League players.
The NBA players will be selected by assistant coaches, while the league office will choose the G League players. Teams will submit a rookie ballot and a sophomore ballot per coaching staff, featuring four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players at either position.
Last year, the player pool for the annual showcase consisted of 10 rookies, 11 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The teams were led by assistant coaches from the All-Star Game coaching staffs — Cleveland and Oklahoma City.
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San Antonio Spurs guard and 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle was the unanimous MVP of the Rising Stars Game last year in San Francisco, California.