INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In a fittingly dramatic finish to All-Star Friday night, Team Vince captured the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars title in a “next bucket wins” thriller at Intuit Dome.
Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe calmly stepped to the free-throw line and delivered the decisive points, draining two foul shots to lift Team Vince to a 25-24 victory over Team Melo. Edgecombe, who scored 17 points in the semifinal and added six more in the final, was named Rising Stars MVP.
With the championship game tied in the closing moments under the event’s target-score format, Team Melo had a chance to seal it from beyond the arc but failed to generate a clean look. San Antonio’s Stephon Castle tipped in a Jeremiah Fears miss to give Team Melo a 24-23 edge, but Edgecombe drew a foul on the ensuing possession and converted both free throws to secure the title.
Earlier in the night, the semifinal matchups showcased the league’s brightest young talent.
In the first semifinal, San Antonio rookie Dylan Harper delivered a memorable moment, isolating against his older brother, Ron Harper Jr., before knocking down a step-back jumper from just inside the right elbow to close out a comeback win for Team Melo. After trailing 32-28 to Team Austin — a squad comprised of G League standouts — the Houston Rockets’ Reed Sheppard sparked a 12-2 run with back-to-back 3-pointers to swing momentum.
Sheppard and Donovan Clingan led Team Melo with nine points apiece, while Castle contributed six points and five assists. Team Austin was powered by big men Yanic Konan Niederhäuser of the Clippers and Yang Hansen of the Trail Blazers, who combined for 21 of their team’s 34 points.
The second semifinal saw Team T-Mac jump out to a 15-7 lead before Team Vince stormed back behind Edgecombe. He scored his team’s final 10 points in a 41-36 victory, sealing it with an isolation step-back jumper over Memphis’ Cam Spencer. Edgecombe finished 6 of 8 from the field and led all scorers with 17 points, while Cleveland’s Jaylon Tyson paced Team T-Mac with 10 points and five rebounds.
The 2026 Castrol Rising Stars featured three teams drafted by honorary coaches Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, who selected Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel and Edgecombe with their first picks, respectively. The trio of NBA rookie-and-sophomore squads competed against the G League team in the annual mini-tournament as part of NBA All-Star 2026 festivities.
In the end, it was Edgecombe who stole the spotlight, delivering under pressure and capping a breakout night with MVP honors and a Rising Stars championship for Team Vince.