The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will mark a seismic shift in the league’s midseason showcase.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed Wednesday on Breakfast Ball that the next All-Star Game will feature a revamped format built around national identity: American players will face off against their international counterparts in what’s being referred to as a “USA vs. World” matchup.
“I’m not exactly sure what the format will be yet,” Silver said. “I paid a lot of attention to what the NHL did, which was a huge success.”
Silver was referring to the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, a four-team, country-based event that replaced the league’s traditional All-Star Game earlier this year. The tournament-style format — which featured the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland — brought playoff-level intensity and was hailed as a refreshing alternative to the usual All-Star fare. The championship between Canada and the U.S. ended in overtime, creating one of the most talked-about moments of the NHL season.
Now, the NBA is hoping to replicate that buzz.
A New Format for 2026
The 2026 All-Star Game will be held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on February 15 and will air on NBC in an afternoon time slot sandwiched between Winter Olympics coverage. The timing is intentional. With Olympic pride dominating the global sports conversation that month, Silver and league officials believe there’s an opportunity to tap into that energy.
“The timing aligns well,” Silver noted. “International athletes are in the headlines during the Winter Olympics, and we see an opportunity to highlight the global nature of our game.”
A History of Tweaks — And Misfires
The USA vs. World format comes after years of experimentation aimed at resuscitating interest in the All-Star Game, which has drawn consistent criticism for its lack of intensity and entertainment value.
2025: Four-Team Mini-Tournament
Last season, the NBA replaced the traditional All-Star Game with a four-team, single-elimination mini-tournament. Three teams were drafted by TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith, while the fourth featured the winners of the Rising Stars Challenge.
Games were played to a target score of 40 points with eight players per team, and a $1.8 million prize pool added financial stakes. While some viewers appreciated the novelty, reviews were mixed and many felt it still lacked true competitiveness.
Silver later described the experiment as “a miss,” signaling that a more meaningful format was needed.
2024: Return to East vs. West
In 2024, the league tried to recapture the spirit of its roots by returning to the East vs. West format. But the result was an all-offense, no-defense affair with a record 397 total points scored. The backlash was swift, with many calling it the least competitive All-Star Game in history.
2018–2023: Captains Draft Format
Prior to that, the NBA used a “captains draft” system from 2018 through 2023, in which top vote-getters selected teams regardless of conference. It was initially popular for its novelty but eventually fell victim to the same criticisms: low effort, lack of defense, and minimal player investment.
Silver has been clear that the league — and the players — are dissatisfied.
“Nobody’s happy with the quality of play,” he said after the 2024 game, adding that incorporating national identity was a leading option being seriously explored.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama Among Vocal Supporters
International stars have already thrown their support behind the concept. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, has been one of the most vocal proponents of the USA vs. World format.
“This should be next year’s All-Star Game format!! Must see basketball,” Antetokounmpo tweeted in April 2024.
In an interview the following month, he expanded on his excitement.
“I would love that. Oh, I would love that,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. For sure, I’d take pride in that. I always compete, but I think that will give me a little bit more extra juice to compete.”
Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs’ 7-foot-4 sensation and a likely candidate to be a face of the league for years to come, also endorsed the idea.
“I would love to. My opinion is that it’s more purposeful,” Wembanyama said. “There’s more pride in it. More stakes.”
Not everyone is fully sold on the effort level changing dramatically. Nikola Jokić, the three-time MVP, said in early 2025:
“The USA has more talented players than the rest of the world,” Jokić said. “Europe and the rest of the world has talented players, I think, but the majority of the players are coming from USA.”
Still, the NBA is betting that national pride will reignite the competitive flame.
Balancing the Rosters
One challenge that lies ahead: roster balance. Roughly 70% of NBA players are American, so the league must navigate how to construct fair, competitive teams from the smaller pool of international talent.
Officials are still ironing out selection procedures, but expect a merit-based approach informed by season performance, player availability, and fan engagement.
Despite the logistical hurdles, the star power is undeniable. The potential for lineups featuring LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Edwards against a global squad led by Jokić, Luka Dončić, Antetokounmpo, and Wembanyama offers a level of intrigue the All-Star Game hasn’t seen in years.
Global Moment, New Era
The new format also reflects the broader global shift in basketball’s power structure. Since the 2017–18 season, the NBA’s MVP award has gone exclusively to international players — Antetokounmpo (Greece), Jokić (Serbia), Embiid (Cameroon), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) — highlighting the rise of global talent.
While the United States is still the reigning Olympic gold medalist, a USA vs. World exhibition could offer a more even playing field, especially with many U.S. stars entering the back half of their careers.
Silver and the league hope this event becomes more than just a one-off. If successful, it could become a recurring fixture — or at the very least, a template for future All-Star innovations.
“It’s an opportunity to honor the international growth of the game,” Silver said. “And hopefully, it becomes a game people actually want to watch — and play in.”
With global stars continuing to redefine the league’s hierarchy, the NBA is wagering that national pride and international rivalries can deliver the competitive edge the All-Star Game has long been missing.
