The 75th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, which will be held in February 2026, will feature a triangular tournament that will be played by two teams of American players and a global team made up of foreign talents, the league announced this Tuesday (12).
The tournament, which will consist of four 12-minute games, will be played on February 15 at the Intuit Dome, the Los Angeles Clippers’ home arena that opened last year in Inglewood, near Los Angeles International Airport.
Two teams will face each other in the opening game. The third team will play first against the winner and then against the loser of the opening game.
The final will pit the top two teams against each other based on their winning record or points difference.
Each team will have a minimum of eight players, so the selection process for the All-Star Game, which will choose 24 players (12 from each conference), will be modified so that all players will be eligible regardless of position.
“I love it,” said former NBA star Carmelo Anthony.
“Players are used to basketball without fixed positions. You can see five point guards on the court. I love the idea of the best players being chosen for the All-Star Game,” Anthony added.
“It brings emotion. It brings back the essence of the game. The All-Star Game must feature the best players, regardless of position.”
Another former NBA star, Vince Carter, highlighted how difficult it can be for talented centers to qualify, given that many teams have very skilled point guards and shooting guards.
“Now, it’s a lot harder on the centers,” Carter said.
“It’s harder for a center to get a shot because there are so many great point guards in the league.”
“It’s going to be tough for a center to make that 24-man roster,” Carter added.
Five players, who will be considered starters, will be selected from each conference (East and West).
Fans will have 50% of the votes, players 25%, and a panel of journalists the remaining 25%.
Seven players from each conference, who will serve as reserves, will be selected by the head coaches of the NBA teams.
The process for assigning American players to one team or another will be determined later, the NBA said.
If the vote fails to select 16 American players and eight foreign players, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will choose additional players to complete both groups and reach the required minimum.
The 2025 NBA All-Star Game featured foreign players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, from Oklahoma City, Canadian star and current NBA MVP (most valuable player); French center Victor Wembanyama, from San Antonio; his Serbian counterpart Nikola Jokic of Denver; Greek center Giannis Antetokounmpo, from Milwaukee, Cameroonian winger Pascal Siakam, from Indiana, and Turkish center Alperen Sengun, from Houston.
