The NBA is introducing a major change to its midseason showcase. For the first time, the 2026 NBA All-Star Game will feature a U.S. vs. World format in a round-robin competition, set for February 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The league and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) jointly announced the format on Tuesday, confirming NBC and Peacock will broadcast the event at 5 p.m. ET.
Unlike previous years, when two captains drafted teams regardless of conference, the 2026 edition will split the 24 All-Stars into three squads — two made up of U.S. players and one representing the rest of the world. Each team will have at least eight players.
The competition will follow a unique round-robin structure featuring four 12-minute games. The opening matchup will pit Team A against Team B, with the winner advancing to face Team C. The loser of the first game will then take on Team C, and the top two teams by record will meet in a championship game. If all three teams finish 1-1, point differential will decide the finalists.
All-Star selections will continue to be based on fan, player, and media voting, with fans accounting for 50 percent of the vote. Current players and a media panel will each make up 25 percent. Head coaches across the league will select the seven reserves for each conference.
The NBA also confirmed that positional designations will be removed from the process. This allows for the selection of the 24 best-performing players rather than fitting them into traditional guard and frontcourt categories.
Commissioner Adam Silver will have the authority to add players if the voting results do not yield the required 16 U.S. players and eight international players. In that case, one or more teams could have more than eight participants to ensure balance.
The new format comes after years of experimentation with All-Star formats, including East vs. West and the captain-led drafts. The league has been exploring ways to boost competitiveness and global engagement, and the U.S. vs. World setup reflects the growing international presence in the NBA.
