After another polarizing All-Star Game this past season, the NBA is set to implement another massive change in format to the exhibition.
While on FS1’s morning show Breakfast Ball on Wednesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the All-Star Game will be pivoting to USA vs. the World for the 2026 edition of the festivities.
Starting in the 2025-26 season, with the NBA set to shift broadcast rights in part to NBC, Silver mentioned that it only makes sense to pivot to USA vs. the World, as it goes hand-in-hand with the American network’s coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“The game will be on NBC, and the very day we’re on, the lead-in will be Winter Olympic events. And then coming out of the All-Star Game, which will now be in the afternoon instead of the evening, there will be more Olympic events,” Silver explained. “So what better time to feature some form of USA against the World?”
He clarified that the exact format is still up in the air regarding how the teams will be built out or who will participate, but mentioned that he paid a lot of attention to the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off back in February, calling it a “huge success.”
This past All-Star Game, the NBA implemented a mini-tournament that saw four teams of seven to eight players square off in a single-elimination style showdown. However, it was announced earlier this year that the format would not return.
Silver also spoke about the success of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, which saw the USA down France in the Finals in one of the most high-profile showdowns in international basketball.
Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has supported the idea of USA vs. the World in the past, calling it “must-see basketball,” and said that he would have “extra juice to compete” should they remodel the game that way.
And with the sheer number of international stars in the NBA today, the showdown could make more sense than ever. The MVP award hasn’t been won by an American player in seven years, and all three finalists this year, for the fourth-straight season, all three finalists were international players.
The NBA commissioner has also been vocal about his desire to continue to grow the game internationally, floating the idea of partnering with FIBA to create a European league.
Next year’s All-Star Game is set for Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, the home of the Clippers.
