2026 NBA All-Star Game: Kickoff Times, New USA vs. World Tournament Format, and Viewer Guide
The 75th NBA All-Star Game is set to take center stage later today, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, marking a pivotal moment for the league’s midseason showcase. Hosted at the Los Angeles Clippers’ technologically advanced Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, this year’s event abandons tradition for a high-stakes experimental format. Coverage begins at 5 p.m. ET, with the broadcast returning to NBC and streaming on Peacock for the first time since 2002.
Deep Search: A Radical New Tournament Structure
In a drastic departure from the classic East vs. West or Captain’s Draft formats, the 2026 edition introduces a “USA vs. World” round-robin tournament involving three teams: Team USA Stars, Team USA Stripes, and Team World.
The Format: The event consists of four 12-minute games. The first three games function as a round-robin stage where teams compete to secure the best record.
The Championship: The two teams with the best records after the group stage will advance to a final Championship Game. If all three teams finish with a 1-1 record, point differential will serve as the tiebreaker.
Broadcast: The game signals a major media shift, airing nationally on NBC. The broadcast team includes Noah Eagle, Reggie Miller, and Jamal Crawford, bringing a fresh presentation style to the event.
Roster Shuffles and Injury Updates
The rosters feature a mix of established legends and the league’s rising international dominance, though injuries have forced significant last-minute adjustments.
Team World: Led by heavyweights Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, and Victor Wembanyama, the international squad is the betting favorite. However, they will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo due to injury. In a complex roster move, De’Aaron Fox was named a replacement but added to Team Stripes, while Norman Powell was reassigned to Team World* to balance the numbers.
Team USA: The domestic pool is split into two squads (Stars and Stripes) featuring LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Edwards. Stephen Curry is a notable scratch due to a lingering knee issue, with Brandon Ingram stepping in as his replacement.
Objections: Critics Label Format “Confusing” and “Trash”
Despite the league’s optimism, the new format has faced sharp criticism from players and pundits who argue that structural gimmicks cannot fix the game’s core issue: a lack of competitive effort.
“Trash” Format: Former NBA guard and podcast host Jeff Teague bluntly described the setup as “trash,” arguing that adding more teams and complicated tiebreakers dilutes the honor of being an All-Star and risks confusing viewers.
Effort Concerns: Skeptics contend that unless players are motivated to play defense, splitting them into three squads won’t improve the product. Critics point to the 2024 game—which ended with a score of 211-186—as evidence that the event has become a glorified layup line.
Player Pushback: Kevin Durant pushed back against the nostalgia for “old school” intensity, suggesting that critics are remembering the past through rose-colored glasses and that the modern game’s pace is simply different.
Background: A History of Failed Experiments
The 2026 overhaul is the latest in a series of attempts by Commissioner Adam Silver to revitalize the All-Star Game.
Venue History: This is the first All-Star Game in Inglewood since 1983 and serves as a prelude to the basketball events for the LA28 Olympics.
Format Fatigue: The league previously experimented with the “Elam Ending” (a target score finish) in 2020, which initially drew praise but lost its novelty by 2023. The return to a traditional East vs. West format in 2024 resulted in the highest-scoring, least-defensive game in history, prompting this year’s radical three-team tournament pivot.
International Rise: The “USA vs. World” concept acknowledges the shifting landscape of the NBA, where the last several MVP awards have been won by international players, making a standard conference divide obsolete.
How to Watch
Date: Today, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026
Time: 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT)
TV: NBC
Streaming: Peacock
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