February 16, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Shaq’s OGs guard Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors celebrates with the MVP trophy after defeating Chuck’s World Stars through the 2025 NBA All Star Recreation at Chase Middle. Obligatory Credit score: Kyle Terada-Imagn Pictures The NBA is contemplating altering the format of the 2026 All-Star Recreation in Los Angeles to a world competitors.
Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned final month that the league was going “again to the drafting board” following its unpopular three-game mini-tournament on the 2025 All-Star Recreation.
On Monday, Silver mentioned a world format — pitting U.S.-born gamers towards a roster of foreign-born gamers — is interesting as a result of the sport will air on NBC through the center of that community’s Winter Olympics protection.
“Given the sturdy curiosity we have seen in worldwide basketball competitions, most not too long ago in final summer time’s Olympics in Paris, we’re discussing ideas with the gamers affiliation that target NBA gamers representing their nations or areas as a substitute of the extra conventional codecs that we have used prior to now,” he instructed The Athletic.
Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president of league operations, added that NBC is “very a lot leaning into” the concept of a “U.S. versus remainder of the world” format for the Feb. 15 recreation on the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
The Intuit Dome, dwelling of the Los Angeles Clippers, additionally will host the basketball competitors on the 2028 Summer time Olympics.
“So I feel all of these elements, after they come collectively, it presents an unlimited alternative for us to do one thing with a world competitors as a substitute of the normal All-Star codecs that we have used,” Silver mentioned.
In line with the league, about 70 p.c of the NBA’s gamers are American. Nonetheless, the worldwide pool of expertise consists of superstars Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama and others.
–Subject Stage Media
