After reports surrounding the NBA's new format for its upcoming All-Star Game, its USA vs. World in a four-team tournament for All-Star Weeknd has been confirmed by ESPN's Shams Charania in great detail. NBA commissioner Adam Silver is confident in the new format, stating it's the fix to the association's yearly showcase that the league has needed over the years.
Details on how the four-team All-Star Game's USA vs World format were revealed per Shams Charania on ESPN's NBA Today.
“USA versus World will be happening. It's three teams. It's a round-robin tournament: two [USA] teams, one world team. And essentially, how this is going to go, I am told, here are the details: four total games. 12 minutes per game,” Charania said. “So, a total of 48 minutes of action. That's essentially one full game. NBA game regulation. So, these four teams will face off against each other in four total games. Here in the 2026 All-Star Game.”
"USA vs World will be happening. It's three teams, a round robin tournament. Two [USA] teams, one world team." 👀
—@ShamsCharania on the new NBA All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/gRgUzPpMSV
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 22, 2025
Silver first hinted at the change to the NBA All-Star Game format in his annual address ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals. He's confident the new setup with lead to a more competitive and entertaining product as ratings of the association's All-Star Game have plummeted over the years. Complaints over the star's lack of effort in the game has been an ongoing debate for the better half of the last decade.
Adam Silver's confident take on NBA's new All-Star Game format
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver knew a change was in order years ago as he's experimented with changes to the league's All-Star Game to no avail. This time, in his new USA vs World, tournament-style format, Silver believes is the key to the future for the league's All-Star Game, he said, per Fox Sports 1's Rachel Nichols.
“I know I've stood up in front of you before, and said we've fixed it, we got it,” Silver said, to which Nichols added, “That he does truly believe a round-robin format with 3 teams of American players and 1 team of international players will be a success,” she said.
Silver, who's hinted to the NBA potentially expanding outside of the United States, is keeping the league's global impact at the forefront of the association's future.
