All-Star Saturday ignites Intuit Dome as 3-Point, Shooting Stars and Dunk contests headline NBA All Star 2026
All-Star Weekend ramps back into high gear with All-Star Saturday set to begin at 5: 00 p. m. ET at the Intuit Dome. The night stacks three of the league’s most anticipated showcases — the State Farm 3-Point Contest, the Kia Shooting Stars and the AT& T Slam Dunk — each promising moments that could be replayed for years to come.
What to expect: schedule and spectacle
Play begins at 5: 00 p. m. ET with the 3-Point Contest, followed by a fast-moving Shooting Stars competition and capped by the Slam Dunk finale. Media Day earlier in the afternoon and a league news conference at 4: 00 p. m. ET set the table for a weekend filled with promotional moments, player interactions and previews of Sunday’s marquee event. The 75th All-Star Game itself will tip off Sunday at 5: 00 p. m. ET in a revamped U. S. vs. World format that has shifted the choreography of the weekend.
Beyond the contests, entertainers and retired legends circulate through the venue, turning the building into a festival of basketball culture. Expect creative dunks, deep shooting displays and teams in Shooting Stars that lean on chemistry and narrative — teammates, classmates and family members vying for bragging rights.
Rising Stars, dunk storylines and standout names
The Castrol Rising Stars event has already supplied its own headlines: Edgecombe earned MVP honors after delivering two winners and pulling off a late takeover as Team Vince captured the title. That performance sets a tone for the weekend, highlighting the next wave of talent poised to make their mark on the league stage.
At the Slam Dunk contest, four fresh faces will try to carve out immortality on a stage that has produced some of the game’s most indelible moments. One competitor carries a lineage to past greatness — a son reliving the legacy of his father’s dunks while trying to invent a moment of his own. The contest favors big ideas: theatrical setups, flawless execution and the ability to elevate the crowd. This year’s field lacks a returning champion, which opens the door for a first-time winner to steal the spotlight.
The 3-Point Contest again showcases elite shooters and strategic marksmanship. With eight participants, each entrant brings a clear motive: to validate themselves as the league’s premier shooter in the mid-February showcase. Meanwhile, Shooting Stars rewards connection as much as precision, and teams with tight chemistry could have an edge when the clock starts ticking.
Context and what comes next
The weekend carries extra emotional weight with several major storylines off the court. One of the sport’s long-serving stars has stepped away after 21 seasons, a reminder that this All-Star Weekend also functions as a celebration of eras — the present crop of rising talent and the veterans who have defined the past two decades.
All-Star Saturday's compact, high-energy schedule is designed to feed into Sunday’s tournament-style All-Star Game. With the U. S. vs. World format, the weekend’s showcase events act both as a diversion and as a prelude: young players can use their Saturday spotlight to build momentum, while established stars balance showmanship with the competitive instincts that will drive the championship chase on Sunday.
Fans arriving at the Intuit Dome should expect a night of nonstop highlights, crowd-pleasing performances and narrative moments that will be dissected long after the confetti falls. For players, it’s a rare chance to create a lasting image; for viewers, it’s one of the season’s brightest entertainment blocks. All-Star Saturday begins at 5: 00 p. m. ET — and the hoop world will be watching every second.
