The NBA All-Star Weekend officially began on Friday with the Rising Stars Challenge, where teams competed for a coveted spot in Sunday’s main event. Team C claimed that spot, and Stephon Castle was instrumental in their success. The San Antonio Spurs guard then issued a warning to the NBA’s elite.
“I wanna give thanks to Coach Mullin. I feel like he drafted a great team,” Castle said in an interview with ESPN after being named MVP for his remarkable performance on Friday night. “We all came together, we all locked in at the end, and you know, we just played free.”
Team C, consisting of Castle, Keyonte George, Zach Edey, Dalton Knecht, Jaylen Wells, Ryan Dunn, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, outlasted Team T—which featured Zaccharie Risacher and Jaime Jaquez Jr.—in a 40-34 semifinal victory before defeating Team G-League 25-14 in the championship game.
When asked about the motivation that fueled his team’s effort, Stephon was straightforward. “I feel like we all wanted to play on Sunday. We all wanted to win,” he said. “I mean, you saw that in the last game. We were down early, but we came back, fought back, and won.”
Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs and Team C celebrates after winning the NBA Rising Stars MVP during the 2025 NBA All-Star Rising Stars Game.
Team C ready for Sunday’s showdown
After winning the Rising Stars Game, Stephon Castle and his teammates will now face the NBA’s top stars in Sunday’s main event in San Francisco. Their semifinal opponents will be the powerhouse team Shaq’s OG, which includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.
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Despite the formidable competition, the young players are confident in their abilities and are determined to take home the victory. “Just be ready for us,” Castle warned about Sunday’s challenge. “Don’t count us out. I mean, we’re here to win it.”
Castle has big ambitions
Following his impressive performance on Friday, Stephon Castle now faces another challenge on Saturday: the Slam Dunk Contest. He will compete against Chicago Bulls’ Matas Buzelis, Milwaukee Bucks’ Andre Jackson Jr., and Orlando Magic’s Matthew McClung.
At Friday’s press conference, Castle was asked if winning all the events he’s participating in was a goal. “Yeah, I definitely thought about it,” he acknowledged, but quickly added a note of caution. “I want to take it one step at a time. Get back to me tomorrow after I win the dunk contest.”
