Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the 2026 NBA All-Star Game format will have an international setup.
Adam Silver Teases 2026 NBA All-Star Game
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirms there will be USA vs. the World in the 2026 All-Star Game 👀
"I'm not exactly sure what the format will be yet. I paid a lot of attention to what the NHL did, which was a huge success."@craigcartonlive | @DannyParkins | @markschlereth pic.twitter.com/WsEzhe4Jkk
— Breakfast Ball (@BrkfstBallOnFS1) June 4, 2025
Silver appeared on Wednesday’s edition of FS1’s Breakfast Ball.
Host Craig Carton suggested turning the NBA All-Star Game into an international competition between the United States and the rest of the world.
With the All-Star Game airing on NBC in 2026, Silver explained how the league plans to implement a Team USA vs. Team World game. Silver cited the Winter Olympics airing at the same time as a reason to switch the format.
“So next year as part of our new media deals, the All-Star Game returns to NBC, where it was when we were younger. And it so happens that next season, we’ll be smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics,” Silver said. “The very day we’re on, the lead-in will be Winter Olympic events and then coming out of the All-Star Game, which is now going to be in the afternoon instead of the evening, there will be more Olympic events.”
While Silver did not commit to the format, he did mention how the success of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off provided a loose blueprint for the NBA All-Star Game.
“So what better time to feature some form of USA against the World? I’m not exactly sure what the format will be yet,” Silver explained. “I obviously paid a lot of attention to what the NHL did with the [4 Nations Face-Off], which was a huge success. But also going back, last summer, our Olympic competition was a huge success.”
NBA Must Find A Way To Save The All-Star Game
Adam Silver on the All-Star Game (part 2):
"The breaks were too long and I get it. It was opportunity to celebrate TNT. The long stoppage in play in that final game didn't work for anyone. So we're a bit back to the drawing board" pic.twitter.com/cM7MzGAIxL
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) March 27, 2025
The NBA has an all-star game problem.
Today’s players do not value the game itself as previous generations once did. Every player wants to be an all-star, but the lack of effort during the game is alarming.
Defense is nonexistent, and every player wants to shoot an ungodly amount of 3-pointers.
Silver has tried to increase the competitiveness in the All-Star Game by tinkering with the format.
The 2025 NBA All-Star Game featured a four-team mini-tournament, with three teams of NBA players and the winning team of the Rising Stars competition.
However, the format backfired, as the time dedicated to commercials and segments outweighed the amount of play on the court.
Perhaps a pivot to an international competition will be for the better.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be held on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
