The NBA All-Star Game is getting a major makeover in 2026, with plans for a round-robin tournament featuring two teams of American stars facing off against a squad of international players, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
This fresh format would create Ryder Cup-style matchups with each game lasting just 12 minutes per quarter.
For those unfamiliar, the Ryder Cup pits American golfers against Europeans in a three-day competition that’s become one of golf’s most exciting events. It’s not yet clear how many days the NBA’s new format would span.
Team executives, governors and players have already discussed the idea in competition committee meetings, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive, sources told Charania.
The 2026 All-Star festivities will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, the brand-new home of the Clippers.
In a notable scheduling shift, the game will move from its traditional Sunday night slot to Sunday afternoon on February 15. NBC, the league’s new broadcast partner, will air the event.
This change has been brewing for months. Back in April, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and league operations president Byron Spruell revealed they were exploring an “international competition” concept with NBC.
The timing seems perfect. The Intuit Dome will host the 2026 All-Star Game just two years before serving as the basketball venue for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
NHL Success Story Sparked NBA’s Interest
The NBA isn’t the first league to try this approach. Last season, the NHL launched its “4 Nations Face-Off” during All-Star weekend, featuring teams from the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden.
The tournament was a massive hit. The final matchup between the U.S. and Canada drew an incredible 10.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-Olympic hockey game ever.
Silver openly admitted the NHL’s success influenced the NBA’s thinking.
“I’m not exactly sure what the format will be yet,” he said. “I paid a lot of attention to what the NHL did, which was a huge success.”
The global growth of basketball makes this format change particularly timely.
About 25% of current NBA players were born outside the United States, according to The Athletic’s Jenna West.
The international influence on the league is undeniable. For eight straight seasons, the MVP trophy has gone to a non-American player.
The NBA draft reflects this trend too. At least 10 international players have been selected in every draft since 2010.
“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,” Silver explained.
