San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle scored 12 points as Team C defeated Jeremy Lin's Team G League to win the 2025 Rising Stars championship.
Castle was also named the MVP of Friday's event.
As winners of the competition, Team C - coached by Chris Mullin - will play Sunday as the fourth team in the NBA's new All-Star tournament format. Candace Parker will replace Mullin as head coach of the Rising Stars squad, which will face Shaquille O'Neal's squad featuring LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and several other veteran stars in the semifinal.
Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George scored the winning bucket Friday, a catch-and-shoot three assisted by Castle that took Mullin's squad to 25 points, the target score in the championship game.
Team C defeated Tim Hardaway Sr.'s Team T in its opening matchup to advance to Friday's finale, while the G Leaguers stunned Team M, which was coached by Mitch Richmond. The semifinal's target score was 40 rather than 25.
Along with Castle and George, the Rising Stars winners also featured Memphis Grizzlies rookies Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey, Phoenix Suns wing Ryan Dunn, Los Angeles Lakers sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, and Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Parker said she's also adding Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson to her roster Sunday, according to Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle. Thompson was on Team M alongside his twin brother Ausar Thompson.
