Some people loved it…others, not so much. Did you watch the NBA All-Start party last night? We’re not saying “game,” ’cause it was actually three short mini-matches that featured teams hand-picked by the Inside The NBA crew of Shaq, Sir Charles and Kenny Smith, along with WNBA great Candace Parker. Here at the offices of the ShaqFu Radio blog, we’re giving it a (mostly) thumbs-up. It was a fun and mostly-interesting new format. Got a little work to do, but we’re interested in seeing where it goes from here.
If you watched, you saw Team Shaq walk away as the big winners of the 2025 NBA All-Star tournament. The four-team mini-tournament saw Shaq’s squad of seasoned All-Star veterans outlast Team Candace’s Rising Stars in the semifinals before steamrolling Team Chuck’s international lineup with a dominant 41-25 victory in the final. The win secured each member of Team Shaq a cool $125,000 prize, while Team Chuck’s runners-up took home $50,000. The semifinalists didn’t leave empty-handed either, pocketing $25,000 each just for making it to the final day.
After a competitive battle against Team Candace, Team Shaq came out blazing in the championship round, opening with an 11-0 run sparked by Jayson Tatum’s hot hand. Team Chuck never recovered, allowing Team Shaq to cruise to victory. Tatum led the way with 15 points, including the game-winning dunk in the race-to-40 format, while Warriors superstar Stephen Curry added 12 points in front of his home crowd in San Francisco.
Curry’s performance earned him All-Star MVP honors, making this his second time winning the award (his first was in 2022). He shot 4-of-8 from beyond the arc in the final while adding four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. In the semifinals, he contributed eight points and six assists to help push Team Shaq past a scrappy Team Candace.
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Despite the on-court action, the event wasn’t without its distractions. The broadcast, featuring comedian Kevin Hart’s commentary, received mixed reactions, with some fans feeling it took away from the game. Adding to the mixed reviews, the championship game was interrupted by an extended tribute to the TNT broadcast crew in what is set to be the network’s final year covering All-Star Weekend. Draymond Green didn’t hold back either, using the TNT platform to take shots at the tournament format itself.
Playing without an injured LeBron James, Team Shaq had a close call in the semifinals. Damian Lillard led the charge with nine points, securing a 42-35 win over Team Candace’s squad of Rising Stars. With the game tied at 28-28, Team Shaq finally pulled away with a 14-7 closing run—though they struggled to end the game, missing multiple three-pointers while stuck at 37 points. At one point, officials seemingly ignored a blatant foul on Kevin Durant to avoid letting the game end at the free-throw line. Ultimately, Lillard put the contest to bed with a signature deep three.
Meanwhile, Team Chuck punched their ticket to the finals with a 42-31 victory over Team Kenny. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dropped 12 points including the game-winner, Team Chuck showcased a strong performance. Victor Wembanyama, in his All-Star debut, even threw in some rare All-Star Game defense, finishing with six points, four rebounds, and a highlight-reel block on Cade Cunningham.
Modeled after the Rising Stars Challenge, the All-Star tournament split players into three teams via an All-Star Draft hosted by TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith. The matchups saw Team Shaq battle Team Candace Parker in one semifinal, while Team Chuck faced off against Team Kenny in the other.
Though the format may have sparked debate, there’s no arguing the outcome—Team Shaq took care of business, and the Diesel himself got to add another W to his legendary résumé.