Victor Wembanyama's All-Star Sunday Ends Early, But Not Before 'Setting the Tone'

LOS ANGELES — Sitting beside the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP trophy, Anthony Edwards acknowledged that something had changed. More specifically, someone.

"Wemby," the Minnesota Timberwolves star said, explaining what motivated him to "put on a show" Sunday evening. "He set the tone, man. It woke me up, for sure."

A day prior, Edwards sat at the podium, microphone in hand, and declared that effort in the All-Star Game was unfixable. It was what it was. Several other stars agreed, while Wembanyama led a coup of Team World luminaries determined to play hard.

Despite an 0-2 finish in the league's new USA vs. World format, the San Antonio Spurs forward accomplished his goal. Only victory could have elevated his experience.

"He wanted to win," said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, captaining USA Stripes, "but this was the type of basketball he wanted to play. He did a great job being one of the tone setters."

Feb 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Team World center Victor Wembanyama (1) of the San Antonio Spurs dunks the ball in game three during the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Across two contests, Wembanyama logged 33 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. His first points came less than 20 seconds after he elevated to win the tip, as he established post position and evaded a Kevin Durant swipe to land a dunk.

Like Edwards, who finished with 32 points on the evening across three games, several of Wembanyama's teammates followed his lead.

"It was fun out there," Houston Rockets star Alperen Şengün told Spurs On SI. "Having him on our team was really good. He played really hard, he makes a lot of shots."

Wembanyama, Şengün, Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Luka Dončić, Norman Powell, Deni Avdija, Karl-Anthony Towns and Pascal Siakam made up Team World, coached by the Toronto Raptors' Darko Rajaković. Putting it bluntly, Wembanyama felt the squad underperformed.

"We weren't kicking out the ball enough in the first game," he said before detailing Scottie Barnes' wide open 3-point shot that resulted in Team World's first loss. "I would have expected us to be smarter right (there), so that was disappointing."

Feb 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Team USA Stars forward Scottie Barnes (4) of the Toronto Raptors celebrates with Tyrese Maxey (0) of the Philadelphia 76ers after game one during the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. | William Liang-Imagn Images

With each game only running for 12 minutes, Wembanyama did what he could to will his team to a win in a short time. It wasn't long before his teammates caught on.

"We saw that Victor was really competitive, so we tried to give him the ball," Avdija said. "We saw he was really into it ... Victor was cooking. Just feed him the ball."

A 31-point outing for Kawhi Leonard in Game 2 proved insurmountable for Team World, despite Wembanyama's 19 points. It also further enhanced the intensity Wembanyama was searching for. Every player on the court felt the difference.

"Wemby’s a leader," Knicks star Jalen Brunson said. "The way he carries himself is fantastic for this game ... you see what his impact is on and off the court."

Asked again about his motivation to bring such energy, Wembanyama pondered the question. He came to a quick, firm conclusion.

"It's a game I personally cherish," he said. "Being competitive is the least I can do."

Feb 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Team World center Victor Wembanyama (1) of the San Antonio Spurs reacts in game one against Team Stars during the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Wembanyama acknowledged the added valor of representing the world. Compared to a season ago, when a four-team tourney yielded similar results to the non-competitive team captain format, the product was much improved, he said.

The Frenchman isn't the only one who hopes it continues.

"People really brought their effort and tried to play hard," Avdija said. "I hope it's going to expand, and people (will) understand that it's fun watching the All-Star Game."

Trophy next to him, Edwards smiled again. When pressed about his change in opinion regarding the unfixable exhibition tournament, he pointed to the same player whom he's bestowed a crown: The NBA doesn't need Anthony Edwards to be the face of the league.

It also didn't need Edwards to save the All-Star Game. It needed someone else.

"I told you," he said. "Wemby."