How Does the New NBA All-Star Game Format Work?

2021 NBA all star game

Starting in 2025, the league is ditching the traditional game format in favour of a mini-tournament. That’s right—a four-team showdown with a twist. Let’s break down what’s happening when All-Star Weekend rolls into San Francisco’s Chase Center from February 14-16.

A Four-Team, Three-Game Showdown

The NBA is turning the All-Star Game into a mini-tournament. Instead of one game, we’re getting three games where four teams battle it out for bragging rights and a nice payday. Here’s the lineup:

  1. Three All-Star Teams
    • The 24 All-Stars will be split into three teams of eight players.
    • These teams will be drafted by TNT legends Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith on February 6, live on TNT. Expect plenty of trash talk during the draft—it’s Barkley and Shaq, after all.
  2. The Rising Stars Champion
    • The fourth team comes straight out of the Rising Stars Challenge—a Friday night showdown featuring the league’s best rookies, sophomores, and even a few G League players.

How It Works

The tournament features two semifinal games and a championship game.

  • The first two games pit the four teams against each other.
  • The winners of those games face off in the final.
  • For every game, the target score is 40 points. No clock, just pure, fast-paced action.

Coaches are coming from the teams with the best records in each conference as of February 2:

  • The East and West’s top head coaches will lead two All-Star teams.
  • Assistant coaches from those same staffs will handle the third All-Star team and the Rising Stars squad.

What’s on the Line?

Let’s talk money. The NBA is throwing down $1.8 million in prize money:

Championship Team: Each player gets $125,000.

Second-Place Team: Each player pockets $50,000.

Semifinal Losers: Each player takes home $25,000.

It’s not quite life-changing cash for these guys, but it’s enough to make things competitive.

But…Why the Shake-Up?

Let’s be real—the All-Star Game hasn’t exactly been must-watch TV lately. Last year’s East vs. West matchup? A snooze-fest with 211 points from the East alone. Fans hated it. Players hated it. Even Commissioner Adam Silver hated it.

“We were disappointed in what we saw last year,” Silver said. “It wasn’t just the league—it was the players, as well.”

Silver and the NBA put their heads together with the NBPA to come up with something fresh, and the mini-tournament was born. Even Stephen Curry—a San Francisco native and proud ambassador for the game—got involved, pushing for changes to make the event more meaningful.

Not Everyone’s On Board

Of course, not everyone is sold. Kevin Durant, a 14-time All-Star, didn’t hold back when asked about the new format:

“I hate it. Absolutely hate it. It seems terrible… We should go back to East-West and just play a game.”

But Durant did admit he could be wrong, saying with a smile, “We’ll see how it works.”

If you’re wondering how players make it into the All-Star Game, the voting process hasn’t changed:

Starters: Picked by fans (50%), players (25%), and the media (25%).

Reserves: Chosen by NBA head coaches.

Voting kicks off on Thursday, December 19, so start planning your picks now.