After winning the Castrol Rising Stars tournament on Friday night, Phoenix Suns rookie Ryan Dunn had a lighthearted, but pointed, message for Suns teammate Kevin Durant ahead of their matchup in Sunday’s NBA All-Star tournament.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Dunn and his Team Chris (Mullin) teammates defeated Team Tim (Hardaway Jr.), 40-34, in the first round of the four-team tournament and Team G League, comprised of some of the G League’s best, 25-14, in the finals. Their victory granted them a spot in Sunday’s tournament, comprised of three teams of NBA All-Stars and now Team Candace (Parker), who will take the reigns on Sunday. Dunn takes on Shaquille O’Neal’s team, Shaq’s OGs, made up of the league’s premier, old stars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Durant.
“I’ll see you Sunday night, big bro,” Dunn said when asked to give his 36-year-old All-Star teammate a message. “See you Sunday night.”
Phoenix’s 22-year-old, bright-eyed rookie was excited about the whole event. In game one, he finished with two points, three assists and a rebound on 1-of-2 shooting in eight minutes on the floor. In game two, Dunn played just under four minutes (game one’s target score was 40 while game two’s was 25), but every second was crucial as he was subbed in after Team G League jumped out to an early 12-8 lead.
As soon as he checked in, Team Chris went on a 17-2 run to win the game. Along with energetic defense, Dunn finished with three points, two rebounds, a block and was a game-high plus-15 while on the court.
Feb 14, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Team C guard Keyonte George (3) of the Utah Jazz reacts during the 2025 NBA Rising Stars Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
“It was a really good format,” Dunn said postgame describing the mini-tournament. “It was a good mix of us just playing in the flow of the game and, when it got to a time where we’re being serious, we started playing really seriously. … it’s a good format, I’m excited to see how it’s going to turn to the All-Star Game Sunday.”
Rising stars playing against the NBA’s best on its premier night presents a new dynamic that we’ve never seen. It’s yet another facet in the league trying to bring more intrigue into what has widely been considered “the world’s greatest game,” or at least it’s supposed to be.
Looking ahead to his matchup against his 15-time All-Star teammate, Dunn believes he and his teammates have something to prove and want to go at their seasoned counterparts — and their pockets — early.
“When it comes to ‘we don’t have the money that they have, we’re going to try and get some of that money,’ yea,” Dunn said when asked about how they can make the game competitive, which is something the coveted game has been lacking in recent years.
Dunn and his “OG,” Durant, face off on the Chase Center floor on Sunday at 9:10 p.m. EST, after Team Kenny and Team Chuck play, on TNT, TBS, TruTV and MAX.
Suns’ Ryan Dunn wins Rising Stars finals, advances to Sunday’s All-Star Game
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Reporter Connor Moreno covers the Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @cmorenosports, and on Bluesky, @cloading.bsky.social
