The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is right around the corner. It is scheduled for February 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The starters for both conferences have been announced. But what about the reserves?
Well, mark your calendars because on Sunday, February 1, at 6 p.m. ET, NBA on NBC will reveal the All-Star reserves. But have you ever wondered exactly how these reserve players get chosen? Let’s dive into the whole process and break it down.
What Is the Process of Determining the NBA All-Star Reserves?
First, it is important to understand the overall structure. There are 24 NBA All-Stars in total, with 12 players from each conference. But here’s the thing. Nothing is done in the old-school way. It is because players are now selected without strict position requirements.
The 10 starters (five from the East and five from the West) are selected through a three-part voting system. Fans control 50% of the vote, and the current NBA players and a media panel each account for 25%. Once those votes are combined, the top vote-getters become starters.
The process changes once we get to the reserves.
These selections are entirely in the hands of NBA head coaches, who vote for the players they believe are most deserving. The decision is made regardless of position, and the votes are tallied to determine the remaining spots. Coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own teams to ensure fairness and balance.
However, there’s a twist this year.
As per USA Today, the league is planning to use a different format that pits USA-born players against international talent. The setup calls for three eight-player teams competing in a round-robin tournament style.
To make this work properly, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has the authority to step in and select additional All-Stars if needed. The goal is to have at least 16 players born in the United States and eight international players. Get this. If they need more international players to fill out the rosters, they can even include American players with strong ties to other countries.
What Was the Format of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game?
The 2025 NBA All-Star event at Chase Center in San Francisco tried something completely new. They introduced a four-team mini-tournament instead of the classic East-versus-West matchup.
TNT analysts got to draft their own teams: Team Shaq, Team Chuck, and Team Kenny. While Candace Parker led the fourth team, which was Team Candace. The games were quick, first-to-40-points affairs, with two semifinals and a final all happening on February 16.
Shaq’s OGs ended up winning the whole thing. They beat Chuck’s Global Stars 41-25, and Stephen Curry took home the All-Star MVP trophy.
But honestly? Fans weren’t really feeling it. The feedback was pretty clear that people missed the traditional format. So the NBA is going back to the East-versus-West setup.
For 2026, the Eastern Conference starters are Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Western Conference starters feature Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokić.
Now, who’ll join them as reserves? That’s the million-dollar question we’ll all find out soon enough!
