NBA All-Star Reserves to Be Revealed Thursday on TNT

NEW YORK — The NBA All-Star reserves for the 2025 season will be announced Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET during TNT’s pregame show, setting the stage for the league’s revamped midseason showcase. The reserves, selected by NBA head coaches, will join the previously announced starters to complete the 24-player pool for the All-Star Game.

Seven players from each conference will be named as reserves: two guards, three frontcourt players, and two additional players at any position. The announcement will precede a TNT doubleheader featuring the Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. ET and the Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers at 9:30 p.m. ET.

This year’s All-Star Game, scheduled for Feb. 16 in San Francisco, will feature a new format. For the first time, the event will include a mini-tournament with four teams competing in three games. The teams will be named after TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith, who will serve as honorary general managers and draft their rosters live on Feb. 6. The fourth team, Team Candace, will consist of the winning players from the Rising Stars Challenge, an annual showcase of top young talent.

The tournament will consist of two semifinal games, with the winners advancing to a championship game. Each game will be played to a target score of 40 points, a format designed to increase competitiveness. The winning team will share a $1.8 million prize pool, with each player earning $125,000. Players on the second-place team will receive $50,000, while those on the third- and fourth-place teams will earn $25,000 each.

LeBron James, who turned 40 last month, headlines the Western Conference starters after being named to his 20th All-Star Game, extending his record for the most selections in NBA history. He is joined by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo led all players in fan voting for the second straight year. He is joined by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, New York Knicks forward Julius Randle, and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.

The starting lineups were determined through a hybrid voting system, with 50% of the vote coming from fans, 25% from current NBA players, and 25% from a media panel. The reserves, however, are chosen solely by the league’s head coaches.

This year’s All-Star coaches will be Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Due to the new format, assistant coaches from both teams will also participate in coaching duties during the tournament.

The 2025 All-Star Game marks a significant departure from traditional formats, emphasizing innovation and fan engagement. With the addition of the Rising Stars Challenge winner and the target-score format, the NBA aims to deliver a more dynamic and competitive showcase of its top talent.