The NBA is thinking about converting the structure of the 2026 All-Star Game in Los Angeles to a global festival.
Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned remaining month that the league was once going “back to the drawing board” following its unpopular three-game mini-tournament on the 2025 All-Star Game.
On Monday, Silver mentioned a global structure — pitting U.S.-born gamers in opposition to a roster of foreign-born gamers — is interesting for the reason that sport will air on NBC all over the center of that community’s Winter Olympics protection.
“Given the strong interest we’ve seen in international basketball competitions, most recently in last summer’s Olympics in Paris, we’re discussing concepts with the players association that focus on NBA players representing their countries or regions instead of the more traditional formats that we’ve used in the past,” he informed The Athletic.
Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president of league operations, added that NBC is “very much leaning into” the theory of a “U.S. versus rest of the world” structure for the Feb. 15 sport on the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
The Intuit Dome, house of the Los Angeles Clippers, additionally will host the basketball festival on the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“So I think all of those factors, when they come together, it presents an enormous opportunity for us to do something with an international competition instead of the traditional All-Star formats that we’ve used,” Silver mentioned.
According to the league, about 70 p.c of the NBA’s gamers are American. However, the global pool of skill comprises superstars Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama and others.
–Field Level Media