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The NBA continues to search for an entertaining All-Star Game format after yet another disappointing outing in February, and it appears that the United States vs. World format is coming soon.
The most recent All-Star Game was heavily criticized by fans and media members, most of whom dubbed it one of the worst games ever. As a result, NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who has experimented with numerous formats and gimmicks in the All-Star Game over the last decade, is ready to try something different again.
Silver told The Athletic's Joe Vardon that the NBA is considering a format that, the league hopes, can tap into the players' national pride.
“Our All-Star Game will return to NBC next season in the middle of their coverage of the Winter Olympics. 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,” Silver said.
The NBA has used the U.S. vs. World format in the past, just not for the All-Star Game. The Rising Stars Challenge, which has historically pitted rookies and sophomores against each other, utilized the format from 2015 through 2021.
Last season, the WNBA All-Star Game similarly featured Team USA, which was preparing for the Summer Olympics at the time, and Team WNBA, comprised of the best players in the league who were not eligible or selected for Team USA. The result was an exciting, competitive game that crushed the previous WNBA All-Star Game viewership record.
Unfortunately for the NBA, it is not guaranteed that players will respond the same way to a similar format. Very few of the exhibition games have been competitive or entertaining over the years, with players citing a risk of injury and lack of incentive to play hard. Some of the most recent games have featured record-breaking scores as a result of poor, if not nonexistent, defense.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be the 75th anniversary of the game, and it is set to take place on February 15 in Inglewood, California, at the Los Angeles Clippers' Intuit Dome.
