The NBA is once again looking to shake up its All-Star Game format, this time introducing a structure many fans have been waiting for.
With the league becoming more international than ever before, Commissioner Adam Silver has announced that their annual celebration of star talent will also move to reflect this, starting next season.
The All-Star Game will officially be split into Team USA vs. Team World, with the NHL’s ‘4 Nation’s Face-Off’ providing the inspiration for the long-awaited change.
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Adam Silver confirms ‘USA vs World’ structure for 2026 All-Star Game
In an attempt to revitalise the All-Star Game, the NBA will introduce a ‘Team USA vs. Team World’ format, hoping that national pride will be enough of a motivating factor in bringing back true high-level play to the event.
During an appearance on FS1’s Breakfast Ball, Silver confirmed this switch to the event, which will attempt to highlight the high level of international superstars in the NBA.
“Next year, as part of our new media deal, the All Star Game returns to NBC where it was when we were younger, and it so happens that next season will be smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics,” Silver said.
“So in fact the game will be on NBC and the very day we’re on, there’ll be the lead in will be Winter Olympic events, and then coming out of the All Star Game, which is now going to be in the afternoons or the evening, there’ll be more Olympic events, so what better time to feature some form of USA against the world?
“I’m not exactly sure what the format will be yet. I mean, obviously paid a lot of attention to what the NHL did.
“Last summer, our Olympic competition was a huge success. I mean those games, USA, Serbia, I loved watching it.”
This change is the latest in a number of tweaks the league has made to one of its premier events; the 2025 All-Star Game featured a four-team tournament in lieu of a traditional game, while previous editions opted to abandon the East vs. West split in favour of team captains selecting their own squads from a pool.
How would USA vs. World split look?
One criticism of the USA vs. World structure has been that the World team may not be able to field as much talent as team USA.
However, in looking to the 2024-25 All Star rosters, the 50/50 split was not that far off.
| 2024 USA ALL-STARS | 2024 WORLD ALL-STARS |
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That’s an 18-8 split in favour of Team USA, noting that Luka Dončić missed the event due to injury.
To make the new format work using the standard 12 roster spots, this means that six of the American spots would need to be vacated for world representatives; which could be potentially filled by names like Dončić, Joel Embiid, Lauri Markkanen, Domantas Sabonis, Franz Wagner, Rudy Gobert, Jamal Murray, Dyson Daniels, Amen and Ausar Thompson (who have committed to represent Jamaica), Luguentz Dort, RJ Barrett, Jonathan Kuminga, and more.
That’s not even considering the rookies Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Tidjane Salaun, Zach Edey, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Topic, and incoming talent like VJ Edgecomb, Khaman Maluach, Kasparas Jakučionis, Egor Demin, to name just a few.
While there will undoubtedly be snubs on both sides as this format develops, that is a palatable tradeoff if the result produces a truly competitive All-Star Game going forward.
