The association unveils a unique new format for the 2026 All-Star Game
The NBA is making a big change to its All-Star game format. In the 2026 edition of the All-Star Game, fans will be able to watch the stars of the USA accept the best of the rest of the worldthe league announced Tuesday.
“In 2026 NBA All-Star Game will debut the new USA vs. World format, airing Sunday, February 15 at 5:00 PM ET on NBC/Peacock. Two American teams and one international team will compete in a round-robin tournament with four 12-minute games,” NBA communications announced on X, formerly Twitter.
As noted, the 2026 tournament-style All-Star Game will feature a total of three teams. Two will be Team USA, while the other will be made up of international NBA players.
There will be a total of four games, each lasting 12 minutes. Each team will face the other two teams on the field, with the top two teams after meeting in the championship round.
As for roster makeup, fans will still be able to vote on 10 starters, with each conference getting five players from the process. Coaches’ votes will determine the other 14 total reserve players for the East and West.
Moreover, if the results of the NBA All-Star voting you do not register 16 players from the U.S. and eight from other countries, “then NBA commissioner Adam Silver will select additional All-Stars to join any group to meet that minimum. In that case, at least 1 team would have more than 8 players,” as Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints shared.
Fans will also no longer be restricted by position. Votes will be positionless, meaning fans can submit ballots that feature all guards, all centers, all forwards or any type of roster configuration, regardless of the positions the players play.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be played on February 15, 2026 at the home of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
2025-11-12 02:36:00
