Anthony Edwards named 2026 NBA All-Star MVP

Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) was named All-Star MVP after his Team Stars defeated the older American team, Team Stripes, 47-21 in the All-Star championship game. It’s Edwards’ first All-Star MVP award, and his third All-Star appearance overall.

The first three games of the All-Star game rewarded the choice of format, with all three being decided by one possession.

In Game 1 between Team Stars and Team World, Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) set the tone early, recording 14 points and three blocks while his teammate Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks) contributed 10 points. Edwards led the attack by Team Stars with 13 points, but it was Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors) who knocked down the game-winning three-pointer, completing a comeback to defeat his head coach, Darko Rajakovic, who was coaching Team World.

Edwards, after the game, credited Wembanyama for doing what he said he would and amping up the intensity on the floor for everyone.

Game 2 between the two American teams also came down to the final shot, as Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) led the older stars in scoring while Edwards and Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) paced Team Stars with 11 points apiece. De’Aaron Fox (San Antonio Spurs) hit the game-winning three-pointer for Team Stars.

In Game 3, Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers) took over for his home crowd, scoring 31 points in 12 minutes on 11-of-13 shooting while Wembanyama kept Team World in it with 19 points of his own. Leonard iced the game with a three-pointer over Towns to take Team Stripes to the Championship game in a rematch with Team Stars.

In the fourth and final game, Team Stripes’ older legs appeared worn down by the previous two games, and the younger stars got out to a 12-to-1 lead, led by Edwards and Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers), who finished with a game-high nine points. They pushed the lead up to 26-to-9 on an Edwards three-pointer and eventually went on a 15-0 run, as Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks) and LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) were the only players to hit a field goal over the first seven minutes for Team Stripes. Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers) ended the game with a team-high six points for Team Stripes.