Starters for Feb. 15: Double three-peats at stake, along with Castle's sizzling performance in Castrol Rising Stars

Mac McClung could enter rare air in tonight’s AT&T Slam Dunk competition (8 ET, TNT).

Prepare for take off.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

Feb. 15, 2025

AT&T Slam Dunk: History is up for grabs tonight in the highest-flying event in hoops

Starry 3-Point Contest: Will Dame join elite company in his hometown title defense?

Kia Skills Challenge: The hosts, a pair of All-Stars, a generational duo & two rooks

Castrol Rising Stars: Stephon Castle earns MVP while sending Team C to Sunday’s All-Star Game

Ruffles Celebrity Game: Actor Rome Flynn shines, while Druski & Kai Cenat put on a show

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Welcome to one of the biggest nights in sports…

On Friday, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 2025 Finalists, led by Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard.

Earlier in the day, Adam Silver and the Golden State Warriors brought Physical AI to the NBA at the 2025 NBA All-Star Technology Summit.

Tonight, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night tips off at 8 ET on TNT, featuring some of basketball’s most iconic events. The tripleheader begins with the Kia Skills Challenge, followed by the Starry 3-Point Contest, before culminating with AT&T Slam Dunk.

But First, Shaq’s OGs, Kenny’s Young Stars and Chuck’s Global Stars practice with their squads and host All-Star Media Day presented by AT&T at 2 ET on NBA TV … followed by the NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T at 5 ET on NBA TV.

On Sunday, a reimagined NBA All-Star Game, featuring 4 teams competing in a 3-game mini tournament, tips off at 8 ET on TNT.

1. AT&T SLAM DUNK: WILL WE SEE HISTORY TONIGHT?

MJ’s free-throw line flight. VC’s honey dip. Blake’s car-clearing oop. Spud defying physics. And everything in between.

Since 1984, the world’s best athletes have taken flight in the AT&T Slam Dunk – and taken our breath away.

But in the four decades of jaw-dropping jams, no one has ever pulled off a three-peat.

Tonight, Mac McClung aims to do just that (8 ET, TNT).

At NBA All-Star 2023, McClung burst onto the scene, becoming the first G-Leaguer to participate – and win – AT&T Slam Dunk with three perfect 50s in his four attemptsOne year later, he stole the show again, becoming just the seventh player to win the competition two or more timesTonight,

he’ll look to rise above the rest – seeking his most electrifying finishes with history on the line

“I feel like this is the best I’ve got,” said McClung on his bag for tonight. “Third year, you got to bring it.”

But McClung isn’t the only one ready to rock the rim.

Stephon Castle has been elevating all season, from topping the Kia Rookie Ladder and winning Castrol Rising Stars MVP to soaring above the cylinder — including a 39.7-inch vertical on the dunk below.

Castle On Tonight: “I’ve got some dunks that haven’t been done before.”

Matas Buzelis, like Castle, has been eyeing McClung’s Slam Dunk crown since Draft night and is set to showcase a unique arsenal of jams.

“Energy,” said Buzelis on what he brings. “And dunks that nobody’s seen.”Dunk Superlatives:

Matas’ favorite personal hammer? “The one versus the Nuggets – dropped the defender and went down the lane and dunked it with two hands.”

Andre Jackson Jr. a 2023 national champion at UConn and 2024 NBA Cup winner with the Bucks, is no stranger to the bright lights and is ready to shine.

“It’s something I’ve been looking forward to my whole life,” said Jackson Jr. on being in AT&T Slam Dunk. “I just want to be myself and put on a show.”“Oh My Gosh”:

See T Jass and Ajax discuss his absurd putback below

Will we see a new champion crowned, or will McClung reach new heights?

2. STARRY 3-POINT CONTEST: ANOTHER THREE-PEAT ON THE LINE

Mac McClung isn’t the only star looking to three-peat tonight in the Bay, as Oakland native Damian Lillard aims for his third straight title in the Starry 3-Point Contest (8 ET, TNT).

When the game’s top marksmen find their rhythm, they rarely miss, making for a can’t-miss event for fans and an elusive trophy for players – one that even the best shooters struggle to retain.

Rare Repeats: Before Dame, the last time we saw a back-to-back 3-Point champ was Jason Kapono in 2007 & 2008. Only four other players have achieved the featRoyalty:

The only players to rattle off three crowns in a row? Craig Hodges (1990-92) and Larry Bird (1986-88)

Full Circle: Ranked 4th all-time in made 3s (2,760), Lillard can further cement himself as one of the game’s greatest shooters just about 12 miles from his hometown.

His Competition? A mix of elite scorers with hot hands, fellow All-Stars (Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Tyler Herro & Darius Garland) and another all-time sharpshooter.

High Volume, High Hit Rate: Garland (CLE) and Norman Powell (LAC) are the only players this season with 150+ 3s while shooting over 42% or better from deepPure Scorers: Meanwhile, Brunson and Cunningham are two of six players this season with 1,250+ pts and 110+ 3sTyler’s Time: Herro ranks fourth in the NBA in total 3s (189) while leading Miami with a career-high 23.9 ppgBrooklyn Bucket: Speaking of team leaders, Cam Johnson tops the Nets in total made 3s (121), and 3P% (41.3, min. 10 GP)All-Timers:

Lillard (4) and Buddy Hield (17) each rank in the top 20 among all-time 3-point leaders

3. KIA SKILLS CHALLENGE: 4 DYNAMIC DUOS, 1 WINNER

Before Dame and Mac aim to make history, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night tips off with the Kia Skills Challenge (8 ET, TNT), where four duos will battle it out in a relay, passing and shooting competition.

Team Warriors: Serving as hosts are Draymond Green and Moses Moody, who own the second-best OffRtg among Warrior duos (124.2, min. 5 GP) thanks to some elite chemistry

Team Cavs: A pair of All-Stars will represent the East leaders in Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley – Cleveland’s most productive 2-man lineup, as the team is posting 70.3 ppg with them on the floor.

Winning Pair: Mitchell and Mobley’s +364 plus-minus is the 4th-best among all NBA duos

Team Spurs: One ranks 2nd in all-time career assists with 12,316. The other is on track to become the first player to average 24+ points, 3+ threes and 3+ blocks per game in a season. Together, Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama make up one of the most unique pairings in the NBA.

Team Rooks: A young French connection will round out the field as the respective No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, Zaccharie Risacher (ATL) and Alex Sarr (WAS), team up in a pairing of all-around promise.

Do-It-All: Sarr leads all rookies in blocks per game (1.6), while Risacher is the only rook this season to total 500+ points, 150+ rebounds and 35+ steals

Who will take the crown? The hosts, the East leaders, a generational pairing or two promising rooks?

4. CASTROL RISING STARS: CASTLE LEADS MULLIN’S SQUAD TO ALL-STAR GAME

Sunday’s All-Star Game won’t just feature the event’s first 4-team, 3-game mini-tournament – it’ll also mark the first time the Castrol Rising Stars champion will compete in the midseason classic.

But to get there, four teams had to battle for the Rising Stars crown using the same All-Star format: two single-elimination semifinals, followed by a winner-take-all championship.

Semifinal 1 | Team C 40, Team T 34: In the first matchup, Keyonte George (10 pts, 2 3s) and Dalton Knecht (7 pts, 4 ast) combined for 17 points to lift Chris Mullin’s squad over Team M, led by Mullin’s “Run TMC” partner, Tim Hardaway Sr.

Calling Game: With a target score of 40 in the semis and 25 in the championship, Friday was all about game-winners, and Stephon Castle nailed the night’s first with a clean mid-range bucket“Game time,”

said Castle on the shot. “I had to close it.”

Semifinal 2 | Team G League 40, Team M 39: Down 39-37, Bryce McGowens (12 pts) splashed a cold-blooded 3 with a defender draped all over him to edge out Amen Thompson (11 pts, 2 ast) and Team M, sending Team G League to the championship.

Final | Team C 25, Team G League 14: One win shy of a spot in Sunday’s ASG, Team G League came to play, jumping out to a 12-8 lead.

But Team C came alive, closing the game on a 17-2 run – stamped by George’s game-winning triple – to extend their weekend. | Recap

Castle Cooks: Castle dropped 12 in the chip, finishing the night with 18 points, 7 boards and 6 dimes to earn MVP honors‘I Told You’: Keyonte called his shot to Player Correspondent Trey Murphy just before hitting the game-winner“It means a lot,” said Castle on getting a chance to play in the All-Star Game. “To be able to play against those guys I’ve been watching forever is definitely a blessing.”Up Next For Team C?

LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Shaq’s OGs in Sunday’s second semifinal

On The Ground: Castrol Rising Stars set the stage for a scintillating weekend in the Bay. See some of the best sights and sounds from Friday below.

Dream Duos: Which non-NBA teammates were the Rising Stars most excited to hoop up with?From Full Court! Brandin Podziemski sinks the shot of the day in his home gymFirst-Person Keyonte: Go inside Team C’s practice from Keyonte George’s point of viewSibling Rivalry: Ausar Thompson breaks down the differences between him and his twin brother Amen – with answers only a brother could give Springy Stars:

Amen and Castle

show off their bunnies

pregame – and the “Bouncy Castle” isn’t done yet, with AT&T Slam Dunk hours away

5. RUFFLES CELEBRITY GAME: ROME FLYNN WINS MVP, DRUSKI & KAI DUEL

Rome Flynn: actor, model, musician – and hooper.

Team Bonds 66, Team Rice 55: In a run full of stars, it was Flynn who shined brightest, dropping 22 points, 8 boards and 5 dimes to win MVP while leading Barry Bonds’ squad past Jerry Rice’s unit in Oakland in a coaching matchup between two Bay Area legends. | Recap

An Emmy-winning actor, Flynn has worked on his hoops game with Olin Simplis (who has trained Kevin Durant and Breanna Stewart), and it showed with some impressive fadeaways, slick feeds and even a Ruffles 4-Pointer from 35 feet.

Calling His Shot: “I can play for real,” said Flynn earlier this weekend. “So if it gets close to where we need to win the game, then I’m gonna try to take it over.”Kahan & Kai Ballin’:

Flynn also had some help, as multi-platinum artist Noah Kahan showed off

his float game

, before Rome assisted Kai Cenat, who was PUMPED for

his first bucket

in an

all-night duel versus Druski

Druski put on a show for Team Rice, as his pregame conditioning paid dividends with a big 3 – which warranted him to break out LeBron’s signature “Silencer” celebration – while one of his teammates did his best to preview tonight’s AT&T Slam Dunk contest.

Olympic High Jump Bounce: A silver medalist for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics, Shelby McEwen took flight for an epic jam that you gotta see to believeFlu Game:

“

I’ve been sick all night

,” said Druski postgame. “Still proceeded to put up 4.”

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