The NBA has announced a number of changes to the All-Star game for 2026.
The All-Star game is an annual mid-season exhibition match involving the best players in the league.
Traditionally, a team from the Eastern Conference faces a team from the Western Conference, although the format has changed multiple times in recent years.
The first All-Star match was held in 1951 and has taken place yearly since then, with the exception of 1999 due to the NBA league lockout.
But what are the new changes for February 2026's All-Star game?
What's new to the All-Star game?
In 2026 a three-team tournament will take place consisting of two American teams and one team of international players.
They will all play each other once, with the top two teams facing each other again in the championship game.
Last year a four-team tournament took place, with the two winning semi-finalists facing each other in the final – deemed the championship game.
The starting fives for the two United States teams and the Rest Of World are picked via a combination of fans (50% of the vote), current NBA players (25% of the vote) and a media panel (25% of the vote).
The reserves to make up the three teams of eight are decided by NBA head coaches.
Like previous years, the squads will consist of 12 Eastern Conference players and 12 Western Conference players.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver will add extra players to fulfil the necessary quotas should a scenario arise where the 24 players do not consist of 16 United States players, eight international players and 12 from each conferences. It would mean that at least one team would have more than eight players in their squad.
When is it?
All four of the All-Star games, that last 12 matches each, will all take place on Sunday, 15 February 2026.
No regular season games take place during this period.
The All-Star matches will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California – the home of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Who could feature?
LeBron James holds the record for the most All-Star selections, appearing in each of the last 21 games since 2005.
James, 40, missed the 2025 game due to injury and is yet to play this season, also because of injury.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, who have won 10 of the last 12 NBA Most Valuable Player awards between them, were all selected for the 2025 game.
Antetokounmpo missed last year's match due to injury.
San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, who was named Defensive Player of the Year two years ago, made his All-Star debut in the 2025 game and is among those likely to feature again in 2026.
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