Last year, Cleveland Cavaliers’ superstar Donovan Mitchell stood alone as the team’s singular representative at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. Although Mitchell basked in the spotlight as the lone Cavalier to grace the event, it probably did feel a bit lonely.
But as the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend approaches, Mitchell will no longer be flying solo. This time, he’s joined by his equally talented Cleveland teammates. First off is Darius Garland, a seasoned two-time All-Star. After that, the Cavaliers will also see rising star Evan Mobley, make his highly anticipated All-Star debut.
From the sidelines, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson and his dedicated staff will be orchestrating the action. Watching Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley take to the hardwood at the Chase Center will be an unforgettable moment for Cleveland fans, a proud testament to the city’s growing star power.
What makes this even more impressive is how Atkinson and his coaching staff have masterminded Cleveland’s rise to the top of the NBA, maintaining their spot as one of the league’s elite teams throughout the season.
The Cavaliers will have their fingerprints all over the new NBA All-Star format
This year’s new NBA All-Star format is intriguing, especially for the Cavaliers, Despite being teammates all season long, Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley won’t be sharing the court this time.
Instead, they’ll be facing off against one another as rivals. That’s all thanks to the NBA’s exciting new format for the 2025 All-Star Game, which has transformed into a star-studded draft.
Gone is the traditional Eastern vs. Western Conference showdown that fans have come to expect. This year, the All-Star Game will break new ground. It’s transformed into a four-team tournament featuring fast-paced, high-energy games, with each contest played to 40 points.
The 24 All-Stars will be split into three eight-player teams, all competing for a slice of the $1.8 million prize pool. The winning team will pocket $125,000 per player, while the second-place squad earns $50,000 per player, and the remaining teams will receive $25,000 each.
The draft was full of surprises, with NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith making the picks, while Candace Parker leads the fourth team, consisting of Team Mullin, the winner of the 2025 Rising Stars Challenge.
Garland, who is often considered one of Cleveland’s top talents, was selected first among the Cavaliers players available by Kenny Smith, going 15th overall. Mobley followed closely behind, picked 16th by Smith’s “Young Stars” team. Finally, Mitchell, Cleveland’s voted-in All-Star starter, was taken 22nd overall by Charles Barkley for his “Global Stars” squad.
Cavaliers’ head coach, Kenny Atkinson, will lead one of the top teams. Atkinson will be joined alongside Oklahoma City Thunder’s Mark Daigneault. Their assistants will take charge of the two other teams in the tournament.
Cleveland will have to go from friends to foes during the 2025 NBA All-Star Game
And here’s the real kicker: Garland and Mobley, usually Mitchell’s trusted teammates, will now face off against him right from the very first game.
The tournament will open with Garland and Mobley’s Kenny Smith’s “Young Stars” taking on Barkley’s “Global Stars”. Unfortunately for Garland and Mobley, Mitchell leading the charge for Barkley’s squad.
The second game will feature Shaquille O’Neal’s “OGs” battling against Team Chris Mullin. This Rising Stars squad boasts Stephon Castle and is run by the ever-impressive WNBA legend Candace Parker.
The winners of those two contests will then face each other in a thrilling championship round. Like in the opening games, the first team to reach 40 points will be crowned the victor. With a hefty prize pool at stake, the competition promises to be fierce and thrilling.
The big question on everyone’s mind: Will this new format bring the intensity and competitiveness that fans have been craving?
After last year’s lackluster performance, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed his disappointment in the game’s defensive effort. Like Silver, fans and players alike are hoping for a more passionate and high-energy event in 2025. So, hopefully, the four teams battling it out try their hardest on defense.
Regardless of the format, Cleveland will play a crucial role in this transformed All-Star weekend. With the Cavaliers standing as one of the NBA’s top teams, their dazzling trio of Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley has the potential to set a new standard for what it means to be an All-Star.
This might just be the game-changer that makes the 2025 NBA All-Star Game one for the ages. No matter what happens, Cleveland’s brightest stars will shine. The entire NBA will be watching as they make their mark on this historic event.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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