Team C knocks off Team G League to claim 2025 Castrol Rising Stars

Stephon Castle finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in 2 games en route to being named 2025 Castrol Rising Stars MVP.

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> Game 1: Team C 40, Team T 34

> Game 2: Team G League 40, Team M 39

> Game 3: Team C 25, Team G League 14

SAN FRANCISCO — Team C, comprised of five rookies and two second-year players, will play in the 74th annual All-Star Game on Sunday, having won the Castrol Rising Stars at All-Star 2025 on Friday night.

San Antonio Spurs rookie and Rising Stars MVP Stephon Castle led the way with 12 points and two assists in the final, a 25-14 victory over Team G League. He scored eight straight points for Team M at one point and found Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George in transition for the game-winning 3-pointer from the left wing. Team M trailed by four early, but then went on a 17-2 run to win the competition.

Team C ran out to an early, double-digit lead in the first semifinal. Team T was within four points late, but Castle finished them off with a step-back jumper from the right elbow, Team C’s fifth attempt at the game-winning bucket. Team C shot 61% and was led by George with 10 points, while Team T’s Gradey Dick had a game-high 12.

The second semifinal was a thriller, with the Portland Trail Blazers’ Bryce McGowens giving Team G League the win with a 3-pointer with his team down 39-37. It was a close game throughout and Team M left the door open by missing five of six free throws down the stretch. McGowens (12) and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Leonard Miller (14) scored 26 of Team G League’s 40 points, while the Houston Rockets’ Amen Thompson led Team M with 10.

— John Schuhmann

Team C’s Stephon Castle is presented with the MVP trophy for the 2025 Castrol Rising Stars.

Team T

Honorary coach = Tim Hardaway

  • Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors) *
  • Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat)
  • Gradey Dick (Toronto Raptors)
  • Anthony Black (Orlando Magic) *
  • Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks)
  • Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)
  • Tristan da Silva (Orlando Magic)

Team M

Honorary coach = Mitch Richmond

  • Amen Thompson (Houston Rockets)
  • Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons) *
  • Bilal Coulibaly (Washington Wizards)
  • Toumani Camara (Portland Trail Blazers) *
  • Bub Carrington (Washington Wizards)
  • Julian Strawther (Denver Nuggets) *
  • Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls) *

Team C

Honorary coach = Chris Mullin

  • Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)
  • Dalton Knecht (L.A. Lakers)
  • Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)
  • Keyonte George (Utah Jazz)
  • Zach Edey (Memphis Grizzlies)
  • Trayce Jackson-Davis (Golden State Warriors)
  • Ryan Dunn (Phoenix Suns) *

Team G League

Honorary coach = Jeremy Lin

  • JD Davison (Maine Celtics)
  • Mac McClung (Osceola Magic)
  • Bryce McGowens (Rip City Remix)
  • Leonard Miller (Iowa Wolves)
  • Dink Pate (Mexico City Capitanes)
  • Reed Sheppard (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
  • Pat Spencer (Santa Cruz Warriors)

Roster Updates

* Rookies Ryan Dunn (PHX) and Matas Buzelis (CHI) along with sophomores Anthony Black (ORL), Toumani Camara (POR), Ausar Thompson (DET), Brandin Podziemski (GSW) and Julian Strawther (DEN) have been named replacements for the 2025 Castrol Rising Stars. 

Rookies Jared McCain (PHI) and Yves Missi (NOP) along with sophomores Victor Wembanyama (SAS), Brandon Miller (CHA), Dereck Lively II (DAL), Cason Wallace (OKC) and Scott Henderson (POR) will not play.

How it works

The Castrol Rising Stars player pool consists of 10 NBA rookies, 11 NBA sophomores and seven NBA G League players. The 21 NBA players, selected by NBA assistant coaches, were split into three seven-player teams. The seven NBA G League players, selected by the league office, comprise the fourth team.

New for 2025, the winning Rising Stars team will feature in the All-Star Game mini-tournament on Sunday, Feb. 16, competing against the NBA All-Stars. TNT analyst and WNBA legend Candace Parker will serve as honorary GM of the Rising Stars champion, known as Team Candace.

In the Castrol Rising Stars mini-tournament, Team C will face Team T in the first semifinal (Game 1), and Team G League will play Team M in the second semifinal (Game 2). The winner of Game 1 will meet the winner of Game 2 in the championship (Game 3).

For each semifinal game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points. For the championship game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 25 points.

The winning Rising Stars team will play in the All-Star Game mini-tournament on Sunday, Feb. 16, competing against the NBA All-Stars. TNT analyst and WNBA legend Candace Parker will serve as honorary GM of the Rising Stars champion, known as Team Candace.

How players were selected

In selecting the NBA players for Castrol Rising Stars, each NBA team submitted one ballot per coaching staff. Each coaching staff selected four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players at either position, in order of preference, for the rookie ballot and the sophomore ballot. Coaches were not permitted to vote for any player on their team.

The NBA participants for Castrol Rising Stars were determined by the total points each player received from the ballots. Points were awarded based on where a player was ranked on each ballot. The player pool includes one more sophomore than rookie based on total points received.

The coaches

A trio of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers are among the four coaches who will serve as honorary head coaches for the Castrol Rising Stars.

The NBA announced Tim Hardaway Sr., Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond — all of whom are former Golden State Warriors players — will serve as honorary coaches as will former NBA player and Warriors guard Jeremy Lin.

Assistant coaches from the NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs – the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder – will join the honorary head coaches in coaching the Castrol Rising Stars teams.

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