NBA considering USA vs. World format for 2026 All-Star Game, Adam Silver says originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
More changes are coming to the NBA All-Star Game.
The league has experimented with various iterations over the past several years, including drafting teams, Elam Endings and, most recently, a tournament involving four teams — a format that has already been shelved.
Now, Adam Silver has told The Athletic that the NBA is looking into a potential showdown in 2026 between American players and worldwide stars.
One factor that the league is considering is that NBC will air the game next February for the first time since 2002. The All-Star festivities will take place in the midst of the Milan Cortina Olympics, which NBC will also broadcast.
“Our All-Star Game will return to NBC next season in the middle of their coverage of the Winter Olympics,” Silver told The Athletic. “Given the strong interest we’ve seen in international basketball competitions, most recently in last summer’s Olympics in Paris, we’re discussing concepts with the players association that focus on NBA players representing their countries or regions instead of the more traditional formats that we’ve used in the past.”
Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president of league operations, echoed Silver’s sentiments.
“NBC is very much leaning into it, given their role — we are, as well,” Spruell said. “Looking to do something new and different yet again, but excited about the possibility.”
The newly-opened Intuit Dome in Los Angeles will play host to the 2026 All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, during the afternoon. By moving the game up a few hours, NBC will follow it up with Olympic prime-time coverage from Italy.
Silver added that the arena, which will host basketball games during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, gives the NBA a unique chance to play on the international theme.
“We’ll be competing in the arena at Intuit, where the basketball competition will take place in the 2028 Olympics,” Silver said. “So, I think all of those factors, when they come together, it presents an enormous opportunity for us to do something with an international competition instead of the traditional All-Star formats that we’ve used.”
At one time, it would’ve been far-fetched to have a competition pitting American players against everyone else. But many of the world’s best players now hail from outside the United States — including every NBA MVP from 2019 through this season (three outsiders are MVP finalists in 2025).
The pool of foreign players includes Nikola Jokić (Serbia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Luka Dončić (Slovenia), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Victor Wembanyama (France), Pascal Siakam (Cameroon) Alperen Şengün (Turkey). Joel Embiid was born in Cameroon, but has competed internationally for Team USA as an American citizen.
The NHL used a similar idea for its 2025 All-Star format, where the 4 National Face-Off was seen as a massive success. While the NBA wouldn’t use a drawn out tournament like the NHL did, it would attempt to build that sense of pride in representing your country.
NBA considering USA vs. World format for 2026 All-Star Game, Adam Silver says
The NBA has already said it won’t bring back the tournament format that was used in 2025.
More changes are coming to the NBA All-Star Game.
The league has experimented with various iterations over the past several years, including drafting teams, Elam Endings and, most recently, a tournament involving four teams — a format that has already been shelved.
Now, Adam Silver has told The Athletic that the NBA is looking into a potential showdown in 2026 between American players and worldwide stars.
SIGN UP HERE One factor that the league is considering is that NBC will air the game next February for the first time since 2002. The All-Star festivities will take place in the midst of the Milan Cortina Olympics, which NBC will also broadcast.
“Our All-Star Game will return to NBC next season in the middle of their coverage of the Winter Olympics,” Silver told The Athletic. “Given the strong interest we’ve seen in international basketball competitions, most recently in last summer’s Olympics in Paris, we’re discussing concepts with the players association that focus on NBA players representing their countries or regions instead of the more traditional formats that we’ve used in the past.”
Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president of league operations, echoed Silver’s sentiments.
“NBC is very much leaning into it, given their role — we are, as well,” Spruell said. “Looking to do something new and different yet again, but excited about the possibility.”
The newly-opened Intuit Dome in Los Angeles will play host to the 2026 All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, during the afternoon. By moving the game up a few hours, NBC will follow it up with Olympic prime-time coverage from Italy.
Silver added that the arena, which will host basketball games during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, gives the NBA a unique chance to play on the international theme.
“We’ll be competing in the arena at Intuit, where the basketball competition will take place in the 2028 Olympics,” Silver said. “So, I think all of those factors, when they come together, it presents an enormous opportunity for us to do something with an international competition instead of the traditional All-Star formats that we’ve used.”
At one time, it would’ve been far-fetched to have a competition pitting American players against everyone else. But many of the world’s best players now hail from outside the United States — including every NBA MVP from 2019 through this season (three outsiders are MVP finalists in 2025).
The pool of foreign players includes Nikola Jokić (Serbia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Luka Dončić (Slovenia), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Victor Wembanyama (France), Pascal Siakam (Cameroon) Alperen Şengün (Turkey). Joel Embiid was born in Cameroon, but has competed internationally for Team USA as an American citizen.
The NHL used a similar idea for its 2025 All-Star format, where the 4 National Face-Off was seen as a massive success. While the NBA wouldn’t use a drawn out tournament like the NHL did, it would attempt to build that sense of pride in representing your country.
