Arzen Rose Dulzura

SEAbling history! Star Magic All-Star Games 2026 delivers one epic, star-studded sports spectacle

Article (news)

Liezel Dela Cruz

<p>The cheers were thunderous, the action nonstop, as the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2026/8/24/in-photos-action-star-power-and-camaraderie-on-full-display-at-star-magic-all-star-games-2026-0957"><strong><u>Star Magic All-Star Games 2026</u></strong></a> delivered one spectacular slam dunk of an event. </p><p>Held on August 23 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, this year’s edition brought Kapamilya stars together for a full day of basketball and volleyball, made even more special by the GMMTV All-Stars from Thailand joining the festivities. Beyond the buckets, spikes, and championship moments, the event also served up sportsmanship and camaraderie, with Filipino and Thai stars bringing the SEAbling spirit to life on and off the court. </p><p>Here’s your courtside recap of everything that went down at the biggest celebrity sports event of the year.  </p><div> </div><div><strong>Junior Basketball Division </strong></div><p>Over at the Junior Basketball division, the younger hotshots of Star Magic – Team Shooting Stars Blue and Team Shooting Stars Red – proved they know how to put up big numbers from downtown. </p><p>Holding down the blue side were Rave Victoria, Wakin Canlas, Rocky Labayen, Jan Silva, Marc Nanninga, Binsoy Namoca, Dustine Mayores, Josh Worsley, Iñigo Jose, Diego Gutierrez, and team captain Dylan Yturralde, with MPBL alum Martin Daez as head coach. Bringing some extra luck to Team Blue was their muse, “<a href="http://pbb.abs-cbn.com"><strong><u>PBB Collab 2.0</u></strong></a>” ex-housemate Eliza Borromeo. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tWTTNIwPm_o" title="BLUE TEAM is ready to ball their hearts out | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>On the other side of the floor, turning up the heat in their red jerseys were Joaquin Arce, Ice Almeria, Andrez Del Rosario, Lance Lucido, Russu Laurente, JP Cabrera, Marc Santiago, Fred Moser, BGYO&#x27;s Mikki Claver, Robbie Jaworski, and captain Seth Fedelin under head coach JJ Española of Gilas Pilipinas. Cheering on the red-hot squad as their muse was Francine Diaz. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YFKU1_FB1OY" title="RED TEAM is here to heat up the hardcourt | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>In the first quarter, Blue Team opened the game with Nanninga, Mayores, Gutierrez, Yturralde, and Namoca in the starting five. Red Team countered with Moser, Lucido, Almeria, Fedelin, and arguably the most intriguing name in the opening unit for longtime basketball fans, Jaworski. </p><p>Blue struck first as Yturralde buried a three-pointer to open the scoring. Fedelin answered right back with a triple of his own, matching Yturralde’s opening salvo. Moser soon introduced himself to the game the same way, knocking down an early three. </p><p>Moser and Almeria worked in tandem to cut into Blue’s lead as Red pushed the pace with fast breaks and quick ball movement. Blue held firm, though, even burning a timeout with just three seconds left to set up one final play. The move paid off as Labayen delivered at the horn, sinking a buzzer-beater to give Team Blue a 13-8 edge after the first quarter. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lQ_XRmjKOto" title="Young ballers, big scorers! Juniors Division Basketball Event | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Shooting Stars Blue kept its foot on the gas early in the second quarter, stretching its lead to 17-10 just two minutes in. Shooting Stars Red continued to lean on Moser for offense, prompting Blue to put the clamps on him, but the former collegiate player found his groove and started heating up from the field. And just like in the opening quarter, the Moser-Almeria tandem gave Red Team the offensive spark it needed. The squad put up nine more points, six courtesy of Moser and the other three coming off an Almeria triple, to claw its way back into the game. </p><p>Blue Team entered the second half with a slim 22-19 lead before Gutierrez took over, scoring the first seven points of the third quarter all by himself. The game only grew more physical from there, with the young players diving for loose balls and battling for every possession. </p><p>Fedelin breathed some life back into Red Team with a three-pointer that ended Gutierrez’s seven-point run, but Team Blue was difficult to chase down. By the end of the third, the lead had ballooned to nine at 35-26. </p><p>Blue Team’s lead reached double digits early in the fourth after Labayen opened the period with a basket. Jaworski answered with a bucket of his own as he started to come alive for Red. </p><p>However, with the deficit growing, Red was running out of time and desperately needed a run. Moser tried to cut into the double-digit gap as his team kept looking for a way back, but the lead proved too much to overcome. Blue Team sealed a commanding 55-35 victory, while Team Red settled for a first runner-up finish.  </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wWzSC1ImRD4" title="Blue Team are your Juniors Division Basketball CHAMPS! | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Individual standouts also got their well-deserved recognition, with Team Red’s Moser named Rookie of the Year. Gutierrez, Silva, and Labayen of Shooting Stars Blue joined Shooting Stars Red’s Jaworski and Moser in the Mythical 5. Stuffing the stat sheet with a game-high 30 points, five rebounds, six assists, and three steals, Gutierrez capped his stellar performance as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) </p><div> </div><div><strong>Women&#x27;s Volleyball </strong></div><p>The reigning champs, Lady Spikers, put their crown on the line against the Lady Warriors in the Women’s Volleyball match. </p><p>The Star Magic Lady Warriors in blue featured Rain Celmar, Rans Rifol, Leona Andalio, Jas Dudley-Scales, Kolette Madelo, Gillian Vicencio, and Erin Navarro. Leading the charge was captain Reign Parani, a consistent Mythical 6 selection in previous All-Star Games. Adding serious volleyball muscle to the squad were Adamson Lady Falcon Bella Sapienza and Akari Chargers pro Risa Sato. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o7AEKhJ0dmk" title="LADY WARRIORS are here to serve and slay | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Across the net, reigning champions Star Magic Lady Spikers came in looking fierce in red uniforms, with Vivoree, Janah Zaplan, Sophie Reyes, Isabel Laohoo, Ai dela Cruz, Lella Ford, Fyang Smith, and Magui Ford. They got reinforcement from NXLED Chameleons pro Jules Tolentino and Alas Pilipinas&#x27; Niña Ytang, while five-time Star Magic All-Star Games MVP Analain Salvador once again took command as team captain. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fqfd6NlNwo0" title="LADY SPIKERS come in to spike up the action | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>The Lady Warriors opened with Rain, Leona, Erin, and captain Reign, deploying reinforcements Bella and Risa. Meanwhile, the Lady Spikers started with Lella, Janah, and Magui alongside pros Niña and Jules with captain Analain rounding out the starting six. </p><p>Playing a best-of-three format with each set raced to 20 points, the Lady Spikers drew first blood and immediately established the early advantage. But Leona made her presence felt just as early for the Warriors, showing good form on her attacks and going for big swings whenever she got the opportunity. </p><p>The action was briefly halted after Spikers libero Isabel had to be taken to the bench after suffering an injury. </p><p>The Spikers had control early, but the Warriors managed to work their way back, eventually pulling and grabbing the lead themselves. Reign was especially locked in as the set tightened, with the captain looking every bit ready for the pressure of a close finish. The set stayed tight until the very end, with the Warriors completing their comeback to steal it, 20-19. </p><p>Set 2 initially looked like déjà vu, with the Spikers taking the early lead before the Warriors once again showed their grit and fought their way back midway through the set. The rallies grew longer and more intense, with Reign and Leona playing with even more fire for the Warriors, while Fyang stepped up with a strong showing for the Spikers. </p><p>But unlike in the opener, the Spikers refused to let the advantage slip away. The Warriors came dangerously close to another comeback, but the Spikers escaped with a 20-18 win to force a deciding third set. </p><p>With the decider played to 15 points, the Lady Spikers once again struck first and leaned heavily on guest pro Niña for offense. But when Niña rotated to the back row, the Lady Warriors capitalized on the opening, with Leona finding different ways to score. Neither side could pull away, trading one-point leads as the race to 15 went down to the wire. Rain had a few miscues, but she remained all smiles and just enjoyed every minute of the competition. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/98gVc-oiUKs" title="Rally FTW! Lady Warriors vs Lady Spikers VOLLEYBALL Event | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>The match point settled the thriller in favor of the defending champions. The Lady Spikers remain queens of the Star Magic All-Star Games volleyball court, while Lady Warriors finished as first runner-up. </p><p>The Lady Warriors still had plenty to celebrate in the individual awards, with their guest player Bella named Best Setter and Gillian taking Best Receiver. On the championship side, Lella earned Best Spiker title. </p><p>Reign, Leona, and Gillian of Lady Warriors, together with Magui, Lella, and Analain of Lady Spikers made up the Mythical 6 selection. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XMNX2qGhGLE" title="Lady Spikers defend championship | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>All eyes were also on Analain and whether she could stretch her unprecedented MVP streak to six straight. But after five years on top, a new MVP finally emerged. The crown changed hands and, fittingly, it stayed in the family. Analain&#x27;s cousin Lella was named the new Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Star Magic All-Star Games. </p><div> </div><div><strong>Halftime Takeover </strong></div><p>As the players took a breather, halftime performances kept the crowd entertained. &quot;It&#x27;s Showtime&#x27;s&quot; Baby Dolls joined the lineup of guest artists, bringing an extra dose of charm to the court as they performed their hit &quot;Oooh Lala Baby.&quot; Jarren Garcia and Kai Montinola also took their turn in the spotlight, with P-Pop groups WRIVE, DNA, and BGYO likewise lending their talent to the halftime spectacle. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y3bkwZ1t7Es" title="Halftime gets lit with star-studded performances | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Team PH vs Team Thai Main Basketball Event  </strong></div><p>SEAbling spirit and &#x27;bayanihan&#x27; were on full display as Filipinos rolled out a warm welcome for their Thai guests before the friendly competition began. During the main basketball event, Team PH and Team Thai were given a grand introduction as each player marched to thundering cheers. The crowd roared for every name announced. </p><p>Having this many handsome stars on one court was already quite the spectacle, but these guys made sure their game got just as much attention. Team Thailand, or the GMMTV All-Stars, entered the matchup with legit hoops experience on its roster, featuring former competitive cager Neo Trai Nimtawat, 6-foot-2 Joss Way-Ar Sangngern, Teshow Promsakha Na, Ping Krittanun Aunchananun, AJ Jutamas, JJ Jutamas, Aston, Ratiphat Luengvoraphan, Ryu Phudtripart, Marc Natarit Worakornlertsith, and Gawin Caskey. </p><p>The Philippine side, meanwhile, had Gerald Anderson, Emilio Daez, JM Ibarra, Ronnie Alonte, River Joseph, Young JV, Tristan Ramirez, Argel Saycon, Jeremiah Lisbo, Ashton Salvador, and Elyson De Dios, with Darna herself, Jane de Leon, as the muse. </p><p> Sportsmanship was alive and well as Team PH welcomed the GMMTV All-Stars. The two teams exchanged friendship tokens before all that goodwill gave way to some feisty hardcourt action. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KvfTDyo_WDQ" title="Time to hoop it up! Shooting Stars and GMMTV All-Stars arrive | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>In the first quarter, Ronnie, Emilio, Argel, Jeremiah, and Gerald made up the Shooting Stars’ starting five, opposite Marc, Neo, Gawin, Aston, and Joss for the GMMTV All-Stars </p><p>Gerald opened the scoring for Team PH before he and Emilio drained back-to-back three-pointers. Alongside Ronnie, the trio powered the early offense. Thailand refused to let the game get away from them, though, with Neo emerging as their main weapon. The former competitive player reached double figures in the opening quarter alone, helping the GMMTV All-Stars chip away at the lead. </p><p>As the rotations came into play, Tristan and Ashton of Shooting Stars provided the finishing touches with back-to-back baskets late in the period, allowing their team to close the first quarter firmly in control, 30-17. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s_Kj0UyvUgA" title="GAME ON! Shooting Stars vs GMMTV All-Stars BASKETBALL event | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>The Shooting Stars tightened their grip in the second quarter, controlling the boards and limiting Thailand’s chances. The battle also got increasingly physical as the big men fought for position and rebounds. The demanding pace appeared to take its toll on Neo, who looked visibly exhausted after carrying much of Thailand’s scoring load. Still, he continued to push through the fatigue and tried to keep the GMMTV All-Stars afloat. </p><p>Team Philippines had no plans of easing up as well even with only seconds left on the clock. Ronnie made sure the final possession counted, beating the buzzer with a last-second basket. The new dad&#x27;s timely bucket sent the Shooting Stars into halftime with a commanding 53-31 advantage. </p><p>By the third quarter, the Shooting Stars made it obvious that they&#x27;re a well-oiled machine, that they had come prepared for the assignment. River heated up in the third, stringing together a series of baskets that pushed him into double figures. </p><p>The Shooting Stars&#x27; relentless pace posed an even bigger challenge for GMMTV as fatigue began to wear them down.  After carrying much of Thailand’s performance, Neo went down with cramps midway through the third quarter, with Marc soon suffering the same. With Neo sidelined, Joss stepped forward as GMMTV’s go-to man. </p><p>GMMTV managed to trim the deficit before the buzzer, but the Shooting Stars still carried a sizable 68-43 advantage into the final quarter. </p><p>Neo and Marc returned to the floor in the fourth, giving the GMMTV All-Stars a much-needed boost and restoring some rhythm to their play, even if the scoreboard told a different story. </p><p>Meanwhile, the Shooting Stars stayed productive until the closing minutes, this time creating more scoring opportunities for JM as they marched toward the finish. With three seconds left and the outcome settled, both sides had already exchanged hugs in a show of sportsmanship. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xImix8gYNsc" title="The championship trophy goes to Star Magic Shooting Stars! | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>The victory made history for the Shooting Stars as they conquered their first-ever international challengers. The GMMTV All-Stars, meanwhile, were all smiles as they wrapped up their Philippine hardcourt debut as first runner-up. </p><p>Neo and Aston represented Team Thailand in the Mythical 5 alongside Team Philippines’ Ronnie, Argel, and Gerald.  </p><p>And once again, Gerald was hailed the MVP (Most Valuable Player), further extending his record as the player with the most MVP awards in the All-Star Games&#x27; history.  </p><p>During the post-game interview, River asked Joss if he enjoyed the experience, and the Thai star gave an enthusiastic yes. Win or lose, Joss is grateful for the warm reception from Filipino fans and he&#x27;s more than ready to come back for a rematch. Joss was kind of feeling sentimental, though, sharing that this might be his last basketball game for a while. And if he had to step away from the hardcourt, he was glad this one happened in the Philippines, where the crowd’s energy made the entire GMMTV team feel nothing but love. </p><div><iframe width="913" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e8tvWO1pdJE" title="Shooting Stars and GMMTV All-Stars relive their game experience | Star Magic All-Star Games 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>The celebration also came with belated birthday greetings for Gawin, who treated the crowd to a sample of his song and pulled Joss in for an impromptu duet. </p><p>The cheers kept coming as the players took turns thanking their supporters and sharing their thoughts on the historic matchup. On his second visit to the country, Gawin said the Philippines already felt like home, while Neo left Filipino fans with a promise that sounded like another SEAbling Showdown could be in the cards, “See you next year!&quot; </p><p>Relive all the action and catch the #StarMagicAllStarGames2026 replay for FREE on Star Magic&#x27;s YouTube. AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE! </p><div> </div><div><strong>More on this story: </strong></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2026/8/24/in-photos-action-star-power-and-camaraderie-on-full-display-at-star-magic-all-star-games-2026-0957"><strong><u>IN PHOTOS: Action, star power, and camaraderie on full display at Star Magic All-Star Games 2026</u></strong></a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2026/8/23/meet-the-mvp-mythical-5-of-the-ph-thailand-seabling-showdown-at-star-magic-all-star-games-2026-2142"><strong><u>Hardcourt kings! Meet the MVP, Mythical 5 of the PH-Thailand SEAbling Showdown at Star Magic All-Star Games 2026</u></strong></a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2026/8/23/champions-shooting-stars-win-ph-thai-showdown-at-star-magic-all-star-games-2026-2131"><strong><u>CHAMPIONS! Shooting Stars win PH-Thai showdown at Star Magic All-Star Games 2026</u></strong></a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2026/8/23/lady-spikers-defend-volleyball-title-lella-ford-claims-mvp-at-all-star-games-2026-1925"><strong><u>Lady Spikers defend volleyball title at Star Magic All-Star Games 2026</u></strong></a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2026/8/23/queens-of-the-court-standout-volleybelles-earn-special-awards-at-star-magic-all-star-games-2026-1908"><strong><u>Queens of the court! Standout volleybelles earn special awards at Star Magic All-Star Games 2026</u></strong></a></div>

<p>Here’s your courtside recap of everything that went down at the Star Magic All-Star Games 2026.</p>

Here’s your courtside recap of everything that went down at the Star Magic All-Star Games 2026.