Format Still 'a Miss' So NBA Will Rework All-Star Game

It is unclear what the 2026 All-Star Game will look like, but commissioner Adam Silver said the National Basketball Association (NBA) is "a bit back to the drawing board" as it moves away from the three-game mini-tournament that was implemented this season.

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NEW YORK - It is unclear what the 2026 All-Star Game will look like, but commissioner Adam Silver said the National Basketball Association (NBA) is "a bit back to the drawing board" as it moves away from the three-game mini-tournament that was implemented this season.

Speaking on March 27 following a board of governors meeting, he said the league will look for ways to improve the mid-season event, which in February drew 4.7 million viewers across TNT platforms — down 13 per cent from 2024. The only NBA All-Star Game with fewer viewers came in 2023, with 4.6 million.

"I thought we made almost an immeasurable amount of progress," Silver said.

"I thought this was a little better, but it was a miss. We're not there in terms of creating an All-Star experience that we can be proud of."

This season's format featured four teams competing in a three-game mini-tournament, with 24 All-Stars divided among three teams in San Francisco.

The fourth team were the winners of the Rising Stars event, which was held two nights before the All-Star Game. Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James, a late scratch, was not among the participants. Anthony Edwards also scratched.