NBA All-Star Game: Cade Cunningham seeks to take inaugural tourney

Cade Cunningham is entering his first All-Star game at a time when the game itself has never looked more different. The fourth-year guard is playing in the NBA All-Star game’s new multi-team tournament format.

He is the first Piston player to make the All-Star team since Blake Griffin in 2019. In prior years a player like Cunningham would be able to easily rack up highlights in a no-defense exhibition that features guards tossing an endless series of alley-oops to the league’s best wings and big men.

This year, maybe it’s completely different … or too depressingly the same. In an effort to inject some competition and effort into the flagship night, the league is creating a four-team tournament format. There are three eight-player teams and the team that won the Rising Stars Challenge on Saturday.

Cuninngham will play on Kenny’s Young Stars team alongside Evan Mobley, his 2021 draft mate, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Williams, Jaren Jackson Jr., Darius Garland, Tyler Herro and Jalen Brunson. The team is coached by Kenny Smith.

Game Vitals

When: 8;20 p.m. ET (Young Stars vs. Global Stars); 9:10 p.m. ET (Rising Stars vs. OGs); 10 p.m. ET (final)
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Watch: TNT, TBS, and Tru TV
Streaming: Max

NBA All-Star Game Format

Easy — untimed games where two teams face off against one another and the first team to 40 points wins. Two winning teams advance to the finals and play another untimed game to 40. The players on the title team get $125,000 each. Runners-up get $50,000 each. Third-and fourth-place teams get $25,000 each.

All-Star Rosters

Kenny’s Young Stars

Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Jaren Jackson Jr., Evan Mobley, Jalen Williams

Coach: Kenny Smith

Chuck’s Global Stars

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Donovan Mitchell, Alperen Sengun, Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Wembanyama, Trae Young, Giannis Antetokounmpo

Coach: Charles Barkley