NBA Stars Push for 1-on-1 Tournament at All-Star Weekend

The NBA’s ongoing effort to sharpen and modernize All-Star Weekend has increasingly centered on one proposal that continues to gather momentum: a structured one-on-one tournament featuring the league’s elite players.

What once lived primarily in social media debates and offseason hypotheticals has now entered mainstream league chatter. Reports circulating during All-Star festivities in the Bay Area indicated the NBA has discussed potential parameters for a one-on-one event, including the possibility of a $1 million prize to secure participation and raise stakes.

The conversation gained additional traction in 2025 after Napheesa Collier captured a $200,000 prize in a one-on-one tournament staged by Unrivaled, underscoring how isolation basketball can be packaged as a headline attraction. Saturday evening, WNBA guard Chelsea Gray won the second edition of Unrivaled’s one-on-one tournament to bag 200k and it drew plenty of attention.

Now, multiple NBA stars are publicly voicing support.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Jaylen Brown: “Let’s Set It Up”

During media availability, Jaylen Brown said he believes a one-on-one competition would restore competitive edge and authenticity to All-Star Weekend.

“I’m actually a big fan of the one-on-one,” Brown said. “Off The Dribble Sports. I think Ballislife and doing some stuff as well. I actually love watching it, because it reminds me of the purity of the game. Like, it’s just mano y mano. You got people on the court talking trash. You’ve got to play two sides. You got to be an offensive and a defensive player. I think that will be great.”

Brown framed the concept as a return to fundamentals — offense versus defense, pride versus pride — without structural gimmicks or format alterations. In isolation, every possession becomes a direct contest. There are no weakside rotations to erase mistakes. No scheme adjustments to mask mismatches.

“And then you could do it like boxing, like you can call a guy out and challenge some people,” Brown said. “There are some people I would love to challenge. Some people that are here this weekend I would love to challenge. All of them, Luka, Shai, Brunson, Donovan. I would challenge all them guys, one-on-one. We could donate to whatever charity. Let’s set it up.”

This is the 1v1 action Jaylen Brown said he’s a big fan of and wants to see at NBA All-Star weekendpic.twitter.com/AmOLUnhX8x https://t.co/CKt6EBNu28

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 15, 2026

By publicly naming potential opponents — including Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, and Donovan Mitchell — Brown illustrated how quickly such a format could generate intrigue and narrative tension.

NBA All-Stars Express Enthusiasm

Brown’s comments were not isolated.

Interest in a one-on-one tournament surfaced repeatedly throughout All-Star Weekend, with several marquee players responding positively when asked directly about the idea — particularly amid reports that the league has at least discussed a potential $1 million prize to anchor the event.

When longtime NBA media personality Rachel Nichols asked whether he would put himself on the line in a one-on-one bracket, Anthony Edwards did not hesitate.

“Hell yeah,” Edwards said.

“Hell Yeah” – Anthony Edwards.
On Open Run, I asked a bunch of NBA All Stars what they thought of doing a 1-on-1 tourney at next year’s event – and a LOT of them said they’re in. Let’s go… pic.twitter.com/k5ppQCCRyp

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 17, 2025

Edwards has previously explained why he believes isolation is a fundamentally different test than five-on-five basketball. When asked whether he could guard Kyrie Irving in a one-on-one setting, Edwards responded confidently.

“For sure I can guard Kyrie, for sure,” Edwards said.

He later elaborated on why he views isolation as a purer competitive environment.

“Yeah, I can guard him. The only thing about is when it’s a five-on-five setting, it’s so much going on. I got to chase him around, ball screen, DHO. I’m cool on all that. In the one-on-one setting, I like me, yeah,” Edwards said.

Edwards’ comments highlight a key distinction driving player interest: in isolation, there are no screens to navigate, no weakside helpers to erase mistakes, and no system responsibilities pulling attention elsewhere. The matchup is direct and personal. That clarity, several players suggested, is part of the appeal.

Irving himself signaled intrigue when asked about the concept.

“I’m open to it,” Irving said. “When there’s smoke, there’s fire — and I’m that fire in one-on-one.”

The phrasing underscored how some players view isolation not as a novelty, but as a platform to reinforce individual skill and reputation.

“It would be fire,” James Harden said when asked about the proposal, offering a succinct endorsement.

Even former Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed willingness to participate during his pregame press conference.

“Yeah for sure,” Antetokounmpo said. “If I had the chance to play one-on-one with anybody, I’d love to do it. Anything that can make the weekend more exciting, more fun, for the viewers and for the fans and for the players, I would love to participate.”

Antetokounmpo’s response framed the idea less as personal bravado and more as a way to enhance the event’s overall appeal. His emphasis on viewer experience echoed a broader theme: players recognize that All-Star Weekend has faced scrutiny in recent years and appear open to adjustments that could reintroduce competitive urgency.

The consistency across those responses — spanning MVPs, perennial All-Stars and rising faces of the league — suggests the proposal carries genuine locker-room appeal. Rather than dismissing the concept as unrealistic or risky, players are publicly signaling interest, competitive confidence and, in some cases, eagerness to step into a format that would leave little room for excuse or explanation.

Unrivaled’s, Ballislife’s Success as Proof of Concept

The strongest recent example of the format’s viability comes from Unrivaled’s one-on-one tournament.

The inaugural bracket’s semifinals and finals last year averaged 377,000 viewers across TNT and truTV, peaking at 398,000 viewers for a matchup between Collier and Aaliyah Edwards — the league’s highest audience at the time.

In 2026, the second one-on-one tournament again generated significant buzz. The field included established stars such as Gray, Kelsey Plum, Aliyah Boston and Allisha Gray, with early-round upsets fueling bracket discussion throughout the week.

Chelsea Gray ultimately defeated Allisha Gray in the final to claim the $200,000 top prize from a $300,000 prize pool. The broadcast framed her performance as a “masterclass” and featured a dedicated postgame interview, positioning the event as premium content rather than novelty programming.

On the grassroots level, Ballislife is the clear leader in the 1 v. 1 space. Over NBA All-Star weekend, the company teamed up with Nike to host the Battleground L.A. vs. Everybody at Crenshaw High School, which was one of the hubs for grassroots events during the all-star festivities. The event featured one-on-one competitions that included some of the most popular players on Ballislife’s roster, including Nasir Core, Uncle Skoob, Lamar Peters, Nesco and Zae.

The best 1 vs. 1 players during Ballislife’s recent pay per view events have also defeated some former NBA and NCAA standouts, creating buzz and interest among current NBA players and helping to define the 1 vs. 1 space as legitimate competition.

Chelsea Gray won $200K in the UNRIVALED 1V1 tournament!

Allisha Gray: “If I had to lose, at least I lost to the Point Gawd. You can’t say I lost to a scrub.” pic.twitter.com/lYutxKqOoU https://t.co/IkcHBQvgow

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 15, 2026

For the NBA, those results provide a working blueprint: clear rules, defined stakes, bracket storytelling and meaningful prize money.

The League’s Next Step

The NBA’s All-Star Game will move to Phoenix next season and air on NBC, adding further visibility to any potential changes.

The upside of a one-on-one tournament is evident — marquee matchups, personal rivalries and immediate accountability. The risks are also clear. A lopsided loss by a superstar could carry lasting scrutiny. Injury concerns would need to be managed. Securing participation from the biggest names would likely require substantial incentives.

Still, the tone around the idea has grown thanks to grassroots efforts by Unrivaled, Ballislife and others.

Players are publicly volunteering. Fans are openly calling for it. A proven model has shown that one-on-one basketball, when structured properly, can drive television audiences and generate sustained buzz.

Whether the NBA ultimately formalizes the concept remains uncertain. But the conversation is no longer hypothetical. The league’s biggest stars have already indicated they are ready.