The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is shaping up to be a historic pivot point for the league’s midseason showcase. Marking the 75th edition of the event, the league is pulling out all the stops to reignite competitive fire and fan engagement.

Scheduled for February 15, 2026, this year’s game brings the festivities to the brand-new, state-of-the-art Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Hosted by the Los Angeles Clippers, this marks the first time Inglewood has hosted the All-Star Game since 1983 and the seventh time the event has landed in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Beyond the location, the 2026 edition features a massive shake-up in broadcasting and on-court rules. The game returns to NBC for the first time since 2002, streaming simultaneously on Peacock, and introduces a revolutionary “USA vs. The World” round-robin tournament format.

Below is your comprehensive, deep-dive guide to everything regarding NBA All-Star 2026.

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Major Format Change: USA vs. The World Tournament

On November 12, 2025, the NBA officially announced a radical departure from tradition. Gone is the traditional East vs. West game, and gone is the captain’s draft. In its place is a three-team round-robin tournament designed to leverage the growing dominance of international talent while maintaining national pride.

The Tournament Structure

The game will not be a single 48-minute contest. Instead, it will be a mini-tournament featuring three distinct squads:

• Team USA 1: Composed of 8 American stars.
• Team USA 2: Composed of 8 American stars.
• Team World: Composed of at least 8 international superstars.

The Rules of Engagement:

1. Round-Robin Phase: The three teams will compete in a series of shortened games (12 minutes each).
   • Game 1: Team USA 1 vs. Team USA 2
   • Game 2: Winner of Game 1 vs. Team World
   • Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Team World
2. The Championship: The two teams with the best records after the round-robin phase advance to the final Championship Game.
3. Tiebreakers: In the likely event of a three-way tie (where everyone goes 1-1), point differential across the round-robin games will determine which two teams advance.

This format mimics the intensity of FIBA competitions and the “Elam Ending” suspense seen in previous years, but with a structural twist that forces every minute to count toward the point differential.

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When and Where: The 2026 Schedule

The 2026 All-Star Weekend is a three-day festival of basketball culture. All times below are in Eastern Time (ET).

Friday, February 13: Kickoff Night

• HBCU Classic: 5:00 PM ET | Kia Forum
  • Matchup: Hampton University Pirates vs. North Carolina A&T Aggies.
  • Context: This rivalry game highlights the league’s commitment to HBCUs. It will air on Peacock.
• Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game: 7:00 PM ET | Kia Forum
  • Details: Stars from film, music, and other sports take the court. Expect a mix of Hollywood A-listers and retired NBA legends. Broadcast on ESPN.
• Panini Rising Stars: 9:00 PM ET | Intuit Dome
  • Format: A showcase of the league’s best Rookies, Sophomores, and G-League Ignite talent. This remains a tournament style event, often the most high-energy game of the weekend. Broadcast on Peacock.

Saturday, February 14: All-Star Saturday Night

• Time: 8:00 PM ET
• Venue: Intuit Dome
• Broadcast: NBC & Peacock
• Events:
  • Skills Challenge: A test of dribbling, passing, and shooting agility.
  • 3-Point Contest: The league’s sharpest shooters vie for the crown.
  • Slam Dunk Contest: The night’s headliner, featuring high-flying acrobatics.

Sunday, February 15: The 75th NBA All-Star Game

• Time: 5:00 PM ET
• Venue: Intuit Dome
• Broadcast: NBC & Peacock
• Main Event: The new USA vs. World Round-Robin Tournament.

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Rosters & Selection Process

The selection process for 2026 retains the fan-voting element but introduces positionless voting to accommodate the new format’s need for the “best” players regardless of size.

How Players Are Picked

• Voting Breakdown:
  • 50% Fan Vote
  • 25% Media Panel
  • 25% Current Players
• Positionless Selection: Voters select their top players without being forced to pick “2 guards and 3 frontcourt players.” This ensures that if the 10 best players are all forwards/centers, they all get in.
• Starters vs. Reserves: The top vote-getters are named starters. Reserves are selected by NBA head coaches, who cannot vote for their own players.

Team Assignment

Once the 24 All-Stars are selected:

• International Players: Automatically assigned to Team World.
• USA Players: The 16 selected American players are split into Team USA 1 and Team USA 2. The specific method for this split (draft vs. committee assignment) will be finalized closer to the event, though rumors suggest a televised draft could return to distribute the American talent evenly.

Commissioner’s Safety Valve:

If the voting process yields fewer than 8 international players or fewer than 16 Americans, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has the authority to appoint additional “Special Selections” to fill the rosters to the required minimums.

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Broadcast News: The Return to NBC

For media/business enthusiasts, the biggest story is the broadcast rights. The 2026 game is part of NBCUniversal’s “Legendary February,” a massive sports push that includes the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics.

• Network: NBC (National Broadcast)
• Streaming: Peacock (Live Simulcast)
• Significance: This is the first All-Star game on NBC since 2002, ending a long exclusive era for TNT. Expect nostalgic musical themes (yes, Roundball Rock is expected) combined with modern 4K streaming tech on Peacock.

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Venue Spotlight: The Intuit Dome

Hosting the event is the Clippers’ new $2 billion home, the Intuit Dome. This arena is uniquely suited for an event like All-Star Weekend due to its technological immersion:

• The Halo Board: A double-sided, acre-sized scoreboard that wraps around the arena, ensuring every fan has a 4K view of replays and stats.
• “The Wall”: A steep section of seats designed for intense fan noise—likely to be used for specific fan sections during the dunk contest.
• Cashless & Ticketless: The venue uses biometric identity for entry and concessions, meaning fans walk in and grab food without waiting in lines, keeping the concourses moving during the busy weekend.

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Why the “USA vs. World” Format?

The shift to this format addresses a decade-long complaint: The All-Star Game lacked defense and competitiveness.

By pitting “USA vs. The World,” the NBA is tapping into genuine national pride. International players like Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić, and Victor Wembanyama often express deep pride in representing their regions. Simultaneously, American stars face the pressure of defending “home court” against a global wave of talent that has claimed the last several MVP awards.

Dividing the USA into two teams also solves a math problem: The US produces too many All-Star caliber players for just one roster. Two US teams allow 16 Americans to shine, preventing major snubs, while the single World team concentrates the very best international talent into a “super team” juggernaut.

Quick Facts

Feature	Details
Date	Sunday, February 15, 2026
Time	5:00 PM ET
Location	Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA
TV Network	NBC
Streaming	Peacock
Format	3-Team Round-Robin (USA 1, USA 2, World)
Tiebreaker	Point Differential
Key Events	HBCU Classic, Rising Stars, Dunk Contest, 3-Point Contest