Silver says 2026 NBA All-Star game to have USA vs World format

Next year’s NBA All-Star Game will feature a “USA versus the World” format, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on Wednesday.

The move comes after last February’s revamped tournament-style format with celebrity-picked rosters was seen as a flop by players and drew relatively low US television ratings.

Asked on Fox Sports One about having a USA against the World format for the elite-level contest, the first word out of Silver’s mouth was “Yes.”

“Next year, as part of our new media deal, the All-Star Game returns to NBC and it so happens that next season will be smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics,” Silver said.

“So the game will be on NBC and the very day we’re on, the lead-in will be Winter Olympic events and coming out of the All-Star Game — which is now going to be in the afternoon instead of the evening — there will be more Olympic events.

“So what better time to feature some form of USA against the world?”

Such an All-Star format offers the prospect of Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this season’s NBA Most Valuable Player from Oklahoma City, going against American Tyrese Haliburton of NBA Finals rival Indiana.

It could offer LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry as US teammates against such global stars as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama.

Silver said while no format was set, the NBA looked at the success of the NHL’s Four-Nations Face-Off last February, which gained great attention for a USA-Canada rivalry.

“I’m not exactly sure what the format will be yet,” Silver said. “Obviously paid a lot of attention to what the NHL did, which was a huge success.”

Silver also noted the US TV ratings success for last year’s Paris Olympic basketball tournament, won by the US collection of NBA stars.