The NBA All-Star Game is a special midseason event where the league’s top players are selected to play in a showcase with a unique format, separate from normal regular-season games.

Big picture: what it is

  • It’s a weekend of events (Rising Stars, contests, celebrity game), capped by the All-Star Game on Sunday night.
  • The game itself is now a USA vs World style competition with three All-Star teams instead of the classic East vs West.
  • It doesn’t affect regular-season standings, but it’s a prestige event for players and a big TV show for fans.

How players are picked

There are two steps: choosing the 24 All-Stars, then sorting them into the new USA/World setup.

1. Selecting the 24 All-Stars

  • 24 total players: 12 from the Eastern Conference, 12 from the Western Conference.
  • Starters are chosen by a weighted vote:
    • 50% fans
    • 25% current players
    • 25% media panel.
  • Coaches in each conference pick the 7 reserves for their side (they can’t vote for their own players).
  • There are no position requirements anymore – it’s just the top vote-getters, not “2 guards + 3 frontcourt.”
  • If someone gets injured or can’t play, the NBA commissioner picks a replacement.

2. Making USA and World teams

  • Those 24 All-Stars are then split by nationality: American vs international players.
  • The goal is:
    • 16 American All-Stars
    • 8 international All-Stars.
  • If the voting doesn’t naturally land on at least 16 Americans and 8 international players, the commissioner adds extra players until those minimums are hit.
  • The two U.S. squads become “USA” teams, and the international group forms the “World” team.

Game format: how it works now

The modern format is closer to a mini-tournament than one single game.

Teams and structure

  • Three All-Star teams:
    • USA Team A
    • USA Team B
    • World (international) team.
  • Each roster has about eight players (the World team can have nine).

Round-robin mini-games

  • There are four 12-minute games in total, all with standard NBA rules otherwise.
  • Games 1–3 form a round-robin: each team plays twice.

Typical flow (names vary, but think “USA Stars,” “USA Stripes,” “World”):

  1. Game 1: World vs USA Stars.
  1. Game 2: Winner of Game 1 vs USA Stripes.
  1. Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs USA Stripes.

Championship game

  • After those three games, standings are checked:
    • The two teams with the best records advance to Game 4.
  • If all three teams finish 1–1, the tiebreaker is point differential in their first two games (how much they outscored opponents overall).
  • Game 4 is the championship game; winner is declared All-Star champion.

Style of play and stakes

  • Defense is usually lighter early, with more highlights, deep threes, and flashy passes.
  • The league hopes the USA vs World setup, plus a mini-tournament and a “championship” game, makes players compete harder than some of the recent, very relaxed All-Star Games.
  • In some recent years the league experimented with the Elam Ending (target score instead of a running clock late), though the current USA vs World structure centers on four timed 12-minute games.

Quick FAQ style recap

  • When is it? During All-Star Weekend in February, around the midseason break.
  • Who decides who plays? Fans, players, and media pick starters; coaches choose reserves; commissioner fills any gaps and injury replacements.
  • How does the game itself work? Three teams play a round-robin of short games, then the top two meet in a final championship game.
  • Why the new format? To create more competitiveness and a fresh USA vs World storyline, after several years of criticism that the All-Star Game lacked intensity.

TL;DR: The NBA All-Star Game now works like a three-team USA vs World mini-tournament: 24 All-Stars are selected by a fan/player/media vote plus coaches, split into two U.S. teams and one World team, play a round-robin of 12-minute games, and the best two teams meet in a final to decide the All-Star champion.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.