The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have announced a new U.S. vs. World format for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. The event will take place on Sunday, February 15, at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, home of the LA Clippers, and will air on NBC and Peacock.
In this groundbreaking format, two U.S. teams and one international team will compete in a round-robin tournament of four 12-minute games. Each team will have at least eight players, making for a fast-paced, highly competitive structure that showcases global basketball talent like never before.
As in previous years, 24 NBA All-Stars (12 from each conference) will be selected. Fans will account for 50% of the vote, while current NBA players and a media panel will each account for 25%. Seven reserves from each conference will be chosen by NBA head coaches, with positionless voting introduced this year.
The method for assigning players to the two U.S. teams will be finalized later. If voting does not produce 16 U.S. players and eight international players, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select additional All-Stars to ensure balanced rosters.
In the new format, Team A will face Team B in Game 1. The winner will play Team C in Game 2, followed by the Game 1 loser taking on Team C in Game 3. The two teams with the best records will then meet in the championship game (Game 4). If all three teams finish with 1-1 records, point differential will determine which teams advance.
The new format reflects the NBA’s continued effort to innovate its All-Star experience and highlight the sport’s expanding international influence.