Edwards has already garnered a massive following due to unreal highlight plays and his attitude on the court. Edwards loves to compete and goes hard at any and everyone on both ends of the court regardless of their name or status. The young guard is already a four-time All-Star and on Sunday won his first NBA All-Star Game MVP.

Afterwards, LeBron was asked about his thoughts on the young star and he didn’t hold back in his praise, saying that he loves everything about Edwards on and off the court, adding that he has a fan and friend in him for life:

"I love Antman. Everything about him."@KingJames sounds off on @anthonyedwards following his @Kia All-Star MVP performance! pic.twitter.com/TiWvWsKTIN

— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2026

LeBron loves the game of basketball to its core so enjoying and appreciating a player of Edwards’ caliber just makes sense. Even though the two have shared some tense moments on the court, notably during the first round playoff series last year between the Lakers and Timberwolves, that is all part of the competition of the game and James will always embrace that.

The joy that Edwards plays the game with is infectious and his desire to be the best player on the court any time he steps on the floor makes him special. LeBron sees what Edwards brings to the table in all facets and appreciates that there are players like this who will continue to push the game forward once he decides to retire.

Of course, James is still performing at such a high level and it is going head-to-head with players like Edwards that continues to push the Lakers superstar to be at his best in his 23rd NBA season.

Anthony Edwards hopes to follow in Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s footsteps

The competition in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game was the highest it has been in years and Edwards was a big part of that. He took home his first Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP award and as James said, he expects it to be the first of many. Edwards hopes for the same and noted that he wants to win three more and join Kobe as a four-time All-Star Game MVP.

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It was ultimately revealed that Luka would indeed play in the All-Star Game, his first as a member of the Lakers, but would only take the court for limited minutes. That was the case as Doncic played just five minutes in the World Team’s first game against the USA Stars squad, finishing with two points and two assists.

Far more important than his performance was the health of that hamstring and in speaking after the game, Luka said that he felt good on the court while adding that he wanted to at least make an appearance for the fans who voted for him.

“It was good,” Doncic said. “Obviously, I wanted to go out there. The fans voted me to be in this game so I wanted to be there and be part of it a little bit. But (my hamstring) felt good.”

With the game being in Los Angeles, there were certain to be a large contingent of Lakers and Doncic fans in the building, even if it technically was in the home arena of the L.A. Clippers. But Luka was able to get out there for a little bit and give the fans a brief show.

All this would seem to point towards Doncic being back in uniform for the Lakers when they return to the court to face the Clippers on Friday night, though he kept his answer vague on the topic.

“We’ll see,” the Lakers star responded when asked if he plans on playing.

With a few more days off now though, it is fair to expect him to suit up after taking the court for this All-Star Game, not to mention knowing just how competitive Luka is.

Thankfully for Doncic and the Lakers, this hamstring issue was a minor one and now the team looks likely to begin this final stretch of the regular season with their three stars all healthy.

Luka Doncic believes Lakers have a team that can win a championship

The question going forward for Luka Doncic and the Lakers now is whether they can compete with the NBA’s elite and contend for a championship and the Slovenian star believes this team is capable of that.

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The 2026 recipient of the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP was Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who led the USA Stars team to the championship over the USA Stripes squad and the World Team and totaled 32 points and nine rebounds across the contests.

Edwards was happy to win the award and was one of the main players who contributed to the increased intensity throughout this year’s game. And afterwards, the young star noted that he hopes to follow in the footsteps of Bryant:

“Hopefully I can get three more trophies like Kobe Bryant.”

– 2026 @Kia All-Star MVP Anthony Edwards pic.twitter.com/Q1XtJSjCak

— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2026

Edwards is already one of the NBA’s brightest stars at just 24 years old and certainly has some similarities to the Lakers legend. Not only is Edwards’ unreal scoring ability and athleticism as a shooting guard similar to that of a young Kobe, but he also possesses the brashness, attitude and competitiveness to go at any player on the court regardless of who it is.

That being on display during the All-Star Game is something Bryant would have enjoyed as he was always a proponent of players going at each other and competing during the exhibition. The game had lost must of its luster over time as players barely tried and the effort was abysmal, but this year’s format brought back some of that competition and it made for a much more enjoyable experience.

There aren’t many players in the NBA who really channel that mindset and fierceness that Kobe displayed throughout his legendary career, but Edwards is one of those who embodies much of what ge was all about. He was deserving of his first All-Star Game MVP and he surely has plenty more accolades coming as his career is still just in the early stages.

Lakers’ Luka Doncic’s hamstring ‘felt good’ in All-Star Game

Someone else who has that fearlessness and attitude like Kobe Bryant is current Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, who only briefly suited up in the All-Star Game as he is just recovering from a hamstring injury. But Doncic wanted to make an appearance for the fans who voted for him and said the hamstring felt good in his time on the court.

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The NBA decided to switch the format of this year’s All-Star Game, splitting the players into three teams, two USA and one World, to compete in a tournament. Doncic, of course, was on the World Team, while James was on the USA Stripes Team. Both of the Lakers’ stars have dealt with recent injuries, however, so they played limited minutes in the game.

Doncic’s World Team faced off with the USA Stars Team in the first quarter and the Lakers star played five minutes with two points and two assists before being subbed out. That was his only action for the day, and he came out of it injury-free.

The first game wound up going to overtime with both teams tied at 32. The first team to score five points in the overtime period would win, and ultimately the Stars Team completed the comeback victory on a triple by Scottie Barnes.

James’ Stripes Team took on the USA Stars in the second game and he got things started with an assist to Kevin Durant from a triple and then a 3-pointer of his own. In five minutes to begin the game, James had five points, one rebound and one assist.

The energy and competitiveness was much better throughout compared to recent years. The second game came down to the wire, and De’Aaron Fox hit a triple at the buzzer to give the victory to the Stripes Team. James helped set up the final bucket after hitting his second 3-pointer, finishing with eight points.

James and Doncic’s teams squared off in the third quarter, although the latter was already done for the night.

In that game, Kawhi Leonard absolutely took over with 31 points for the Stripes team. He hit the game-winner, and James finished two points, two rebounds and four assists. LeBron’s bucket was a big one as he had a putback dunk to give his team the lead in the final minute.

The final matchup was the two USA teams once again.

Considering the Stripes Team had just played two games in a row, the Stars Team was well-rested and came out hot to take an early lead.

James did his part with five straight points to try to get his team back in it, but the Stars continued to pour it on for the easy victory.

Even though the Stripes and Stars played two games and split them, the Stars won the final one to take home the victory. Anthony Edwards was named MVP and awarded the Kobe Bryant trophy.

What’s next for the Lakers…

The Lakers will now get some much-needed time off for the All-Star break before returning to the court on Friday against the L.A. Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.

Going into the break, the Lakers are tied for fifth in the Western Conference at 33-21 and are looking to make a run with their roster finally getting healthy.

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Doncic was seen working out before the contest, which would indicate that he is close to returning for the Lakers. Head coach JJ Redick even said that Luka should be good to go once the team returns from the All-Star break, but it was unclear what that would mean for the All-Star Game itself.

Doncic was the leading vote-getter amongst all players and with the game being held in L.A. there will certainly be a large contingent of fans who would love to see him in action. And despite his recent injury, Doncic is expected to play in a limited capacity, per NBA insider Marc Stein:

The Lakers’ Luka Dončić is indeed on course to play for a short stint in Sunday’s All-Star Game after a strong pregame workout Thursday, league sources tell @TheSteinLine. pic.twitter.com/nUvNyyN8Gf

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 13, 2026

As Stein reported, it can be expected that while Doncic will suit up and play in the All-Star Game, his time on the court will be limited. A soft tissue injury like a hamstring strain Luka is dealing with is something that must be handled carefully and the Lakers have been extremely cautious in bringing him back. So there is no way Doncic or the team will risk his availability for the home stretch of the regular season by having him play too much in the All-Star Game.

Luka making an appearance and getting a few minutes on the court for the World team should be more than enough and then he can continue to ramp himself up and be ready to go when the Lakers are back on the court and ready to make their push towards the playoffs.

This year will be the first time the All-Star Game will have a USA vs. the World format with the game itself taking place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

2026 NBA All-Star Game rosters

USA Stars

Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

USA Stripes

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (Injured)

Team World

Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Norman Powell, Miami Heat
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (Injured)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (Injured)

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