It is always a joy to watch teammates find themselves on opposite sides during the All-Star Game. Like that time the Splash Brothers defended each other. That’s what happened between Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Unlike in previous editions, players from the same team had a chance to wear different uniforms in this year’s ASG. The traditional East vs. West format used to keep them together, but that wasn’t the case during the years of Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis or Team LeBron vs. Team Steph.
The 2026 format allowed it to happen again, and Brunson and KAT were separated by nationality. The former played for Team USA, while the latter represented Team World because of his Dominican Republic roots.
They play completely different positions, but in the rare moments they went face-to-face on the court, they made sure to enjoy it. Brunson got the last laugh, though, as he one-upped his teammate with his three-point shooting and talked some smack in front of reporters afterward.
“I knew no matter what shot I shot, the ball was going in. So whenever KAT’s guarding, I knew what’s gonna happen,” Brunson said when asked about his moment with his big man.
“I knew no matter what shot I shot, the ball was going in.”
Jalen Brunson on Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns guarding him in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game! pic.twitter.com/eLQWvcmhgi
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2026
The pair will return to the Knicks next week riding on a 10-2 run before the All-Star break and will resume the season with new teammates expected to fortify their playoffs campaign.
First on their assignment are the East’s no. 1 team, Detroit Pistons.
KAT savors having Jalen Brunson on ASG
It’s hard to be on the other side when Brunson is on the offense. KAT knows that, too, and this is why he savors being teammates with him now that the fun is over.
“It’s a blessing to have a teammate with me at All-Star weekend, someone so greatly talented like Jalen Brunson,” KAT said after the game.
Team Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) of the New York Knicks react during the shooting stars competition during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“It’s really cool to be able to know that after All-Star we’re gonna go be teammates.”
KAT’s Team World did not win any of the two games they played while Brunson’s Team Stripes reached the Finals. His team lost to Team Stars led by Anthony Edwards who won the MVP.
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