Golden State Warriors center Trayce Jackson-Davis, under the guidance of Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, led Team C to victory in the NBA Rising Stars championship on Friday night at San Francisco’s Chase Center. This triumph secures their spot in the newly formatted NBA All-Star Game.

The upcoming All-Star Game features a semifinal where Kenny Smith’s Young Stars face Charles Barkley’s Global Stars, followed by Shaquille O’Neal’s OGs against Candace Parker’s Rising Stars, now bolstered by Jackson-Davis and his teammates. Facing seasoned players like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, Jackson-Davis acknowledges the challenge: “Steph, LeBron, KD? That’s a fair challenge for sure.”

Approaching his 25th birthday, Jackson-Davis plans to leverage his team’s youthful energy against the veterans: “I think everyone on our side is going to try and run. Run and gun. Run ’em. We got the youth on them.”

The All-Star Game’s new structure includes a $1.8 million prize pool, awarding $125,000 to each player on the winning team. However, for Jackson-Davis, the opportunity to outplay basketball legends holds greater significance: “The check is great and all, but beating those dudes is worth 10 times that. Just going out there and competing and having fun. I like our team a lot. I like our chances.”

Before this, Jackson-Davis’s squad defeated Brandin Podziemski’s Team T, coached by Tim Hardaway, and then overcame Jeremy Lin’s Team G League Rising Stars in the final, securing bragging rights over fellow Warriors teammates. Reflecting on the victories, Jackson-Davis expressed confidence: “Coming back Sunday, we might as well win it.”