The 2025 NBA All-Star Game will feature an exciting mini-tournament format, as the league confirmed on Tuesday. This innovative approach aims to revitalize the midseason showcase in San Francisco, promising a fresh experience for fans and players alike.
Expect a significant drop in scoring during this year’s event — a notable shift from past games.
The new structure includes a four-team, three-game tournament, comprising three squads of eight All-Stars and one team composed of the Rising Stars challenge winner, featuring standout first- and second-year players. Each game will conclude when a team reaches 40 points first.
This thrilling event is set to take place on February 16 at the Golden State Warriors’ home arena. The Rising Stars challenge will occur just two days earlier, on February 14, kicking off All-Star Friday.
Last year’s game saw teams attempt a staggering 289 shots, with 94% coming from either the paint or beyond the three-point line.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a likely All-Star for the third time, remarked, “With the elephant in the room being us competing, them trying to shake things up is expected and makes sense. Ultimately, it will depend on whether the players are willing to go all out, and I would love to see that.”
The league has made several adjustments to the All-Star format over the years. The first 66 All-Star Games followed a traditional East vs. West format, featuring four 12-minute quarters. The league then shifted to a captain selection format, where leading vote-getters from each conference drafted their teams.
LeBron James has been a captain all six times, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry also taking up captain roles in various years.
In four captain-pick years, the All-Star Games employed a target score, ensuring a decisive finish on a made shot. The fourth quarters were untimed, with the first team to reach the leading score after three quarters plus 24 points — a tribute to Kobe Bryant’s jersey number.
Last year’s return to the East vs. West format resulted in a record point total, featuring remarkable plays like Luka Doncic’s 70-foot jumper and Damian Lillard’s incredible 44-foot shot, showcasing the players’ extraordinary skills.
The league is optimistic that this new tournament format will be the answer to enhancing the All-Star experience.
Voting format
All-Star voting is set to begin on Thursday, with the format remaining unchanged.
Fans can vote daily until January 20, selecting three frontcourt and two backcourt players from both conferences.
Votes will contribute to a weighted formula: 50% from fans, 25% from a media panel, and 25% from current players, determining the 10 players designated as “starters.”
NBA head coaches will select the 14 “reserve” players.
However, the distinction between starters and reserves may be less significant on game night, as 15 players will take the court — five from each of the three teams — with only nine players coming off the bench during the semifinal games.
How the teams will be picked
On February 6, TNT analysts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith will draft teams from the 24-player All-Star pool. These teams will proudly bear their names — Team Shaq, Team Charles, and Team Kenny.
The Rising Stars winner will compete under the name Team Candace, honoring Candace Parker.
Coaching staffs
The coaching staffs from the teams with the best records in the Eastern and Western Conferences will lead the All-Star Game. (The Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves coaching staffs are ineligible this year, as they coached last year.)
The East and West head coaches will each manage a team in the tournament, while one assistant coach from each staff will take charge of the other two teams.
Prize money
A total prize pool of $1.8 million is up for grabs during the All-Star Game.
Players on the All-Star champion team will each earn $125,000, while those on the runner-up team will receive $50,000. Players from the teams eliminated in the semifinals will each take home $25,000.
FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience 
