Stephon Castle Shines at NBA All-Star Weekend, Wins Rising Stars MVP
SAN FRANCISCO — Stephon Castle, the San Antonio Spurs rookie, opened NBA All-Star Weekend with a standout performance, earning the Rising Stars MVP award as his Team C secured a victory in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night. The win earned Team C a spot in Sunday’s All-Star Game, where they will face a star-studded lineup featuring LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.
Castle led Team C, coached by Chris Mullin, to a decisive 25-14 win over Team G League in the championship game. He scored 11 points and contributed three assists, including one on rookie Keyonte George’s game-winning 3-pointer. Earlier, Castle hit the deciding shot in Team C’s 40-34 victory over Team T, coached by Tim Hardaway Sr. “To be a part of the game-winning bucket in both, it means a lot,” Castle said.
The Rising Stars game featured three teams of first- and second-year NBA players and a fourth team of G League standouts. Team C’s roster included Castle, George, Phoenix’s Ryan Dunn, Memphis’ Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells, Golden State’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dalton Knecht. An eighth player will be added before Sunday’s All-Star Game.
Castle, who is also competing in the dunk contest on Saturday, hinted at more accolades to come. “I don’t want to spoil anything, but I’ll just say the MVP trophy isn’t the only trophy I’m trying to take home,” he told ESPN.
The All-Star Game will follow a similar format to the Rising Stars Challenge, with four teams competing in a mini-tournament. Team C will face Shaq’s OGs, a team of veteran stars, in the semifinal. “We’re out there with nothing to lose,” Castle said. “We’re out there playing confident, playing free. So I just wouldn’t count us out.”
Team C’s players earned $35,000 each for their Rising Stars victory and will now aim to make a statement against some of the NBA’s biggest names. “I’m playing against Bron, so I get to go against one of my teammates,” Knecht said. “It’ll be a lot of fun to go out there and try to make a statement.”
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