Best Tweets from 2025 NBA All-Star Roster Draft for New Tournament Bracket Format

It's a new era for the NBA All-Star Game.

This year's All-Star Game will feature a tournament-style format with four teams consisting of the league's best players. The four teams will play in two semifinal games and the winner of those semifinal games will move on to the championship game.

Three teams will feature NBA All-Stars while the other team will be the winner of the Rising Stars game. The All-Star teams will be led by Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith. WNBA legend Candace Parker will coach the winner of the Rising Stars team.

Barkley, O'Neal and Smith drafted their teams on Thursday:

Fans took note of O'Neal taking former teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the draft:

Barkley received high praise for his work in the All-Star draft:

While O'Neal drafted the veterans and Barkley took several MVP candidates, Smith landed some young talent that fans believe could be perfect for the All-Star Game.

The immediate storyline following the draft is James and Davis getting picked to the same team. The two were teammates for six years and won a championship together, but Davis was sent to the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster trade for Luka Dončić on Saturday.

It's hard to say who left the All-Star Game draft with the best team, but it should make for an interesting tournament.

O'Neal's squad features a handful of NBA legends like James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, but as many fans noted, Smith's team has several first-time All-Stars with more to prove. Barkley's team, which consists mostly of international talent, will be hard to beat.

While the All-Star teams will have the edge, don't be surprised if a Rising Stars team comes ready to play. There's plenty of talent on the four squads.

The All-Star Game takes place on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. ET and will air on TNT. The Rising Stars Challenge will be held on Friday, Feb. 14, at 9 p.m., also on TNT.