NBA announces new All-Star format for 2026

The NBA and Players Association (NBPA) person announced a alteration that volition marque the 2026 All-Star Game different. The yearly hoops spectacle volition instrumentality spot connected Sunday, February 15, astatine the Intuit Dome successful Inglewood, location of the LA Clippers. This twelvemonth we volition beryllium watching a mini-tournament betwixt American and planetary stars.

The 2026 All-Star Game volition diagnostic 3 teams; 2 made up of American players and 1 known arsenic the "world team" with planetary stars. The crippled volition beryllium played according to the one-on-one system, and each crippled volition past 12 minutes. Each of the 3 teams volition person astatine slightest 8 players.

Player selection

As before, a full of 24 All-Star players volition beryllium selected, 12 from each conference. The 5 players volition beryllium chosen by the fans (50% of votes), progressive NBA players (25%) and the media (25%), portion the 7 reserves per league volition beryllium chosen by the caput coaches.

A important innovation is that players volition beryllium selected careless of the presumption they play in. How the American players volition beryllium distributed successful the 2 teams volition beryllium determined later.

What if determination aren't capable players?

If the ballot does not output 16 American and 8 planetary players, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has the close to prime further players to capable the teams to the minimum number. This means that immoderate of the teams tin person much than 8 players.

Tournament structure

The tourney volition person respective stages. Team A and Team B volition conscionable successful the archetypal match. The victor of that lucifer volition play against Team C successful the 2nd match, portion the loser of the archetypal lucifer volition play against Team C successful the 3rd match.

After each the teams person played their matches, the 2 teams with the champion show volition play the final. If it happens that each 3 decorativeness with a 1:1 win-loss ratio, the finalist volition beryllium decided by the constituent quality from the erstwhile games.

Whether specified changes volition bring positivity remains to beryllium seen.