NBA revamps all-star game with world players

The league is radically changing the concept of the All-Star Game, leveraging the star power of its international players.

As announced, the new format will feature one team of international players and two teams of Americans, which will compete in a mini-tournament format, CE Report quotes ANA-MPA.

This year’s All-Star Game will take place on February 15 in Inglewood, California. The three teams (World, USA 1, USA 2) will play 12-minute games against each other, with the two best teams advancing to the final.

The player selection process remains the same: 50% of the vote comes from fans, 25% from players, and 25% from the media. Coaches will select seven reserves from each conference, producing a total of 24 All-Stars regardless of position.

The league will decide which players will make up the two USA teams, and if there are not enough international players (at least eight) or Americans (at least sixteen), Commissioner Adam Silver will add additional players.

The decision follows last year’s 2025 All-Star Game in San Francisco, which received heavy criticism for its complicated three-team format, the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge, and the complete lack of defense in previous games (211-186 in 2024, 184-175 in 2023).

The move highlights the NBA’s international dimension, as the last seven MVPs have all come from outside the United States: Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019, 2020), Nikola Jokić (2021, 2022, 2024), Joel Embiid (2023), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2025).

The 2026 All-Star Game will be broadcast for the first time by NBC after 23 years on TNT and will take place during the Winter Olympics in Milan–Cortina.

Photo: NBA