The 2025 NBA All-Star Game will now be a four-team, three-game tournament, the league announced Tuesday.
The new All-Star format will consist of three games taking place in one day on February 16. Three of the teams will be made up by the 24 NBA All-Star selections, while the fourth team in the tournament will be the winner of the Rising Stars game — featuring rookies and sophomores — from earlier in the weekend.
There will be two semifinal games before a final, with the first team to reach 40 points winning each game.
The league has tinkered with its All-Star event in the last few seasons, with the intent of improving the competitive nature of the game. Previous tweaks include having player captains draft the teams instead of the East vs. West format, or having the game end with a target score instead of a timed fourth quarter.
The 2024 All-Star game was widely criticized for its lack of defensive effort. The 2024 contest was the first East vs. West game since 2017, and the East won 211-186 — the first time a team had broken 200 points in an All-Star game.
For this season’s version, after the 24 All-Stars are selected via a vote by fans, players and media, they will be drafted into three teams by honorary general managers Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith. WNBA legend Candace Parker will be the GM of the Rising Stars entrant.
The All-Star draft will take place on Feb. 6.
There will be no change to the All-Star voting format, which is weighted 50% in favor of fans, 25% for players and 25% for media.
Each player on the championship-winning team will receive $125,000, compared to $50,000 for second place and $25,000 for third and fourth place.
The 2025 All-Star game will take place in San Francisco, the first time the city has ever hosted the game.
