New Format for the NBA All-Star Game in 2026
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game could feature a round-robin tournament with three teams of eight players each, two teams from the United States and one team from the rest of the world, according to sources close to the league. This format was presented by the NBA and the players’ union to the league’s competition committee. The response from governors, team executives, and players who debated the format at the meeting was positive. The teams would play 12-minute matches against each other. The 2026 All-Star Game will be held in Los Angeles, at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers, on February 15. The game, which will be broadcast on NBC, will change its start time from Sunday night to Sunday afternoon. The format of last year, a four-team single-elimination tournament, received mixed reviews, with several players expressing their dissatisfaction with the interruptions during and between matches. Earlier this year, NBA commissioner Adam Silver mentioned the importance of the 2026 All-Star Game coinciding with the Winter Olympics, as well as the location of the 2028 Summer Games, and was receptive to the idea of giving the game an international focus. The NBA indicates that around 70% of the league’s players are American, which would make it easier for international players to be part of an All-Star team in a United States vs. the world style competition.“This gives us a great opportunity to do something with an international competition instead of the traditional formats we’ve used,” Silver said in April.
Adam Silver
