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Silver: 2026 NBA All-Star Game will have 'some form' of USA vs. World

David Dow / National Basketball Association / Getty

The NBA All-Star Game is getting a new format once again.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the 2026 game will showcase some version of Team USA vs. Team World.

"Next year, as part of our new media deal, the All-Star Game returns to NBC," Silver said on FS1's "Breakfast Ball." "And it so happens that next season will be smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics. So, in fact, the game will be on NBC, and the very day we're on, the lead-in will be Winter Olympic events, and then coming out of the All-Star Game, which is now gonna be in the afternoon instead of the evening, there'll be more Olympic events.

"So what better time to feature some form of USA against the world. I'm not exactly sure what the format will be yet. I paid a lot of attention to what the NHL did, which was a huge success. But also going back to last summer, our Olympic competition was a huge success."

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has publicly supported the idea of a Team USA vs. Team World All-Star Game on multiple occasions.

Antetokounmpo said the format would give him "extra juice to compete" following the 2025 weekend. He also said last month that it'd be "must-see basketball."

Silver floated the idea of an international format for the 2026 All-Star Game back in April.

The NBA used a mini-tournament format at this year's All-Star Game but announced in March that it wouldn't return.

The 2026 All-Star Game will take place Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

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