No. 1 pick headlines legendary coach selections as 2025 draft class dominates All-Star weekend showcase
Carmelo Anthony just made the first selection in the Rising Stars Challenge, and naturally, he went straight to the top of the talent pool. The Hall of Famer drafted Cooper Flagg, the Dallas Mavericks’ No. 1 overall pick from June’s NBA draft, with the opening pick Tuesday night. That set the tone for the entire evening: the 2025 draft class is the future, and the legends coaching these teams know it.
The first four picks all went to rookies from this year’s draft class. After Flagg went to Melo, Tracy McGrady selected Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel. Vince Carter then took Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe and New Orleans Pelicans forward Derik Queen with the third and fourth picks respectively. Three Hall of Famers. Four of the league’s brightest young prospects. That’s the All-Star weekend narrative right there: the next generation meeting the legends who paved the way.
This isn’t just about roster construction for a three-game tournament. This is about optics, legacy, and bragging rights between three basketball icons. Melo got the draft’s top prospect. McGrady and Carter are tasked with building competitive rosters from the remaining talent pool. The stakes might be informal, but the competitive fire between three all-time greats never is.
When 2025 draft class talent dominates the selection process
The composition of the three rosters tells you everything about the depth and talent of this year’s draft class. Melo’s team includes Flagg, Houston’s Reed Sheppard, San Antonio’s Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, New Orleans’ Jeremiah Fears, Portland’s Donovan Clingan, and Toronto’s Collin Murray-Boyles. That’s a collection of lottery talent the kind of firepower that makes opposing rosters worry.
McGrady’s squad features Knueppel, Miami’s Kel’el Ware, Washington’s Tre Johnson and Alex Sarr, Oklahoma City’s Ajay Mitchell, Cleveland’s Jaylon Tyson, and Memphis’ Cam Spencer. Again, you’ve got first-round pedigree, lottery consideration, and young talent operating at the highest level.
Carter’s roster includes Edgecombe, Queen, Washington’s Kyshawn George, Chicago’s Matas Buzelis, Brooklyn’s Egor Demin, and Memphis’ Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells. The depth across all three teams is legitimate. These aren’t afterthought all-star weekend squads they’re genuinely talented rosters filled with prospects who could be rotation players or starters in the NBA within a year or two.
What’s striking is how many of these players are first-round picks or lottery selections. The 2025 draft class wasn’t just deep at the top. It was loaded with talent throughout. The Rising Stars Challenge essentially became a showcase for the “Class of 2025,” proving that this year’s draft might be remembered as one of the deeper and more talented in recent memory.
The G League fourth team adds another layer
Beyond the three legendary coaches and their rosters, a fourth team made up of G League players will compete. That squad includes Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen (16th pick) and LA Clippers center Yanic Konan Niederhauser (30th pick), plus four players on two-way contracts: David Jones Garcia (Spurs), Tristan Newton (Rockets), Alijah Martin (Raptors), and Ron Harper Jr. (Celtics). Sean East II from the Salt Lake City Stars rounds out the group.
The inclusion of the G League team is important. It acknowledges that elite talent exists outside the traditional lottery lanes. These players earned their Rising Stars invitations by excelling in the development league. They’re proof that the pathway to NBA recognition isn’t just about draft position it’s about performance and readiness, regardless of where you started.
All-Star weekend goes full next-generation mode
The Rising Stars Challenge kicks off Friday, February 13, at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles with three games determining the overall champion. The format is simple: winners of the first two games meet in the championship game. But the real story is the talent level and the competitive environment created by three Hall of Famers coaching teams they genuinely want to win with.
This is what All-Star weekend should be about celebrating the next wave while honoring the legends. Melo, McGrady, and Carter all know what it takes to win at the highest level. Now they’re invested in developing the next generation. That’s a powerful dynamic, and it’s on full display this weekend.
