Anthony Edwards Went Out of His Way to Give Victor Wembanyama Credit for All-Star Game Effort

This year’s NBA All-Star Game took place on Sunday night and it was a genuinely thrilling affair, a showcase borderline unrecognizable compared to previous iterations.

After many years of criticism about the level of effort the All-Stars show on the court and the complete lack of interest in competing that their play often reflected, Sunday’s ASG was a total reversal of course. The superstars were genuinely trying to win. Defense was played. There was a palpable intensity when the games got close and buzzer-beaters decided the outcome.

If it weren’t for the championship bout turning out to be something of a flop, it might’ve been one of the best All-Star showings ever. As it stands, it’s merely the best NBA All-Star Game in a long, long time.

The question many will ask after digesting this surprising development is simple: Why? What inspired this year’s players, many of whom were perpetrators of the issue at hand in previous years, to play hard? Did the new USA vs. World format really get everyone’s blood hot?

If you ask Anthony Edwards, there is one man who gets the credit for upping the competition level. His name is Victor Wembanyama.

Edwards faced off against Wemby in the first game of the night where the Spurs superstar set a strong tone in terms of effort. He dunked on Cade Cunningham by sealing him deep in the paint within 10 seconds of tip-off and was full-go from there. It didn’t lead to a winning effort; Wembayama’s Team World lost to Edwards’s Team Stars in overtime. But it did provide an example of how the rest of the night would go. It was also Edwards’s first chance to give Wembanyama his flowers for inspiring everybody else.

“I ain’t gonna lie. Wemby set the tone. He came out playing hard. It’s hard not to match that,” the Wolves star said after securing the win for Team Stars.

Edwards wasn’t done, though. After Wembanyama showed out in his second game and the overall All-Star Game boasted notably higher effort, Edwards shouted out the French superstar yet again. This time it came after he secured All-Star MVP following Team Stars’ victory over Team Stripes in the championship game.

“Wemby set the tone,” Edwards stated again while holding his newest piece of hardware. “He came out playing hard. We had to follow that. We had to pick it up as the red team, and we did that.”

"Wemby set the tone"

- Anthony Edwards on the All Star game pic.twitter.com/6NrhxVcroa
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) February 16, 2026

In his final appearance to media of the night in the form of his All-Star postgame interview, Edwards once again didn’t miss a chance to give Wembanyama props. He was asked what changed in terms of the competitive nature of the game, and again had only one person to point to.

“I told you: Wemby.”

Anthony Edwards credits Victor Wembanyama and the All-Star format again for the competitiveness pic.twitter.com/zbkscSkeNX
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) February 16, 2026

It’s a reflection of the respect Edwards clearly has for Wembanyama as a competitor. The two put on an amazing duel earlier this season and Minnesota’s superstar was obviously quite ready to match Wemby’s energy in front of an international crowd on Sunday.

It was a great All-Star Game and could potentially set a new standard for competitiveness in the annual showcase going forward. If you think the same as Edwards, Wembanyama is to thank.