TJD revels in Warriors bragging rights after Rising Stars Game triumph

TJD revels in Warriors bragging rights after Rising Stars Game triumph originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Coached by franchise legend and Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, Warriors center Trayce Jackson-Davis and Team C are moving onto the revamped NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center after being crowned Rising Stars champions Friday night.

Kenny Smith’s Young Stars will play Charles Barkey’s Global Stars in the first semifinal game Sunday night, followed by Shaq’s OGs taking on Candace Parker’s Rising Stars, which now will feature Jackson-Davis and the rest of his seven-player squad. Jackson-Davis says he’s up for the tough task at hand, too.

“Steph, LeBron, KD? That’s a fair challenge,” Jackson-Davis said. “That’s a fair challenge for sure.”

In what can be described as a David vs. Goliath matchup with Mullin’s team being David, Jackson-Davis and his teammates will battle Steph Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as well as a handful of other superstars. The rest of the OGs are rounded out by Kyrie Irving, who replaced an injured Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, James Harden and Jaylen Brown.

A week away from his 25th birthday, Jackson-Davis’ strategy is for his Rising Stars team to race past Curry and his veteran teammates.

“I think everyone on our side is going to try and run. Run and gun,” Jackson-Davis said. “Run ‘em. We got the youth on them.”

The NBA All-Star Game’s new format that includes four teams also comes with a cash prize consisting of a $1.8 million pool. Each player on the winning team will receive $125,000. Players on the second-place team will walk away with $50,000, and those on the third and fourth-place team each get $25,000.

For as nice as making his wallet a bit fatter, bragging rights hold a heavier weight to Jackson-Davis.

“The check is great and all, but beating those dudes is worth 10 times that,” Jackson-Davis said. “Just going out there and competing and having fun. I like our team a lot. I like our chances.”

But first, he had to get bragging rights on his young Warriors teammates before earning a chance at playing some of the biggest superstars in basketball history.

Jackson-Davis’ team beat Brandin Podziemski’s Team T, coached by Tim Hardaway, in the first game of the night. Then after Jeremy Lin’s Team G League Rising Stars upset Mitch Richmond’s Team M, it was a battle of Warriors in the championship game between Jackson-Davis and two-way player Pat Spencer.

“No,” Podziemski said without hesitation when asked if his good friend Jackson-Davis now has bragging rights over him.

“Sure,” Spencer said jokingly after losing to Jackson-Davis in the championship. “Yeah, he can have it.”

There was no stopping Jackson-Davis’ smile knowing his team first took down Podziemski, who was selected by the Warriors in the same draft as him in 2023, and then Spencer in the championship game.

Podziemski and Spencer spoke of a hope of higher competition in the Rising Stars tournament. In his one game, Podziemski scored two points on 1-of-4 shooting, plus two rebounds and three assists. Spencer totaled two points and five rebounds in his two games, and Jackson-Davis had six points and one rebound.

“Yes, I do,” Jackson-Davis said regarding his prize of bragging rights over his Warriors teammates. “I do indeed. Pat was smiling. BP was the same way. They said, ‘Might as well win. Win the whole thing.’

“Coming back Sunday, we might as well win it.”

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