The 2026 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., will feature a new wrinkle. Instead of the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format or the silly All-Star captains choosing teams, the NBA’s annual midseason showcase event will feature two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players, also known as the World team.

The three squads will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games. Each team will have a minimum of eight players, selected by a combination of fan votes (50%), current NBA players (25%), and a media panel (25%).

If NBA All-Star voting does not result in the selection of 16 U.S. players and eight international players (which can include American players with ties to other countries if necessary), then NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select additional All-Stars to join either group to reach that minimum.

There was zero chance the international team wouldn’t be able to field an eight-man squad. In fact, the international talent pool is so deep that there will be snubs. When the 10 starters were announced on Jan. 19, five of them were foreign-born players. When the reserves were announced on Feb. 1, there were at least three qualified to be on Team World. Karl-Anthony Towns was born in the U.S., but represents the Dominican Republic in FIBA competitions. Towns said if selected to the All-Star game, he prefers Team World over the U.S. squad.

Assuming guys are healthy enough to play, the World team is stacked with an All-NBA starting five and plenty of firepower off the bench.

Starters
Nikola Jokic, center, Denver Nuggets
Giannis Antetokounmpo, forward, Milwaukee Bucks
Victor Wembanyama, forward-center, San Antonio Spurs
Luka Doncic, guard-forward, L.A. Lakers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, guard, Oklahoma City Thunder

Bench
Jamal Murray, guard, Denver Nuggets
Karl-Anthony Towns, forward-center, New York Knicks
Deni Avdija, guard-forward, Portland Trail Blazers
Pascal Siakam, forward, Indiana Pacers
Potential injury replacements:
* Alperen Sengun, center, Houston Rockets
* Lauri Markkanen, forward, Utah Jazz

Jokic, Wemby, Giannis, Luka, and SGA have combined for six MVPs, two scoring titles, and three NBA championships. If the season ended today, there could be a strong case to be made that these five superstars deserve to be on the All-NBA first team.

Serbian superstar Nikola Jokic was well on his way to potentially a fourth MVP award until a hyper-extended knee derailed his season and forced him out of the Denver Nuggets lineup for a month.

Slovenia’s Luka Doncic, the leading vote-getter in the West, is having his best season in two years, leading the league in scoring and free throw attempts. He’s averaging 33.4 points per game, which would be his best mark since the 2023-24 season, and he gets to the line 11 times per game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — born in Canada but played college basketball at Kentucky — is backing up his 2024-25 MVP season with another outstanding campaign. He’s second in the league in scoring and leads all players with 11.0 field goal makes per game. Behind Shai, the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder owns the best record in the NBA.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, also known as The Greek Freak, garnered the most votes of any Eastern Conference player. He isn’t having his typical MVP-type season, but he remains among the league leaders in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage.

Victor Wembanyama, now in his third year in the league, is the biggest reason why the San Antonio Spurs are poised to have their best season since the Tim Duncan era. The 22-year-old Frenchman played a vital role in helping the Spurs reach the championship game of the NBA Cup, and he was the force behind San Antonio’s three convincing wins over the OKC Thunder.

That’s quite a formidable starting unit. The bench for the World team isn’t too shabby.

Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most versatile big men in the Association. He could easily start for the World team if Jokic, Wemby, or Giannis decide to skip the All-Star game. Towns, one of the best shooting big men in the NBA, was a force on both ends of the court during the New York Knicks’ championship run in the NBA Cup tournament.

Jamal Murray finally made an NBA All-Star team after nine seasons, as he was voted on by coaches as a reserve. The Denver Nuggets guard — the pride of Kitchener, Ontario — is averaging 26 points per game, five points higher than last season, and he is shooting a career-best 44% from 3-point range. Because of Murray, the Nuggets were able to stay in the top four in the West standings despite Jokic missing a month due to a hyperextended knee.

Israel’s Deni Avdija might be the biggest reason why the Portland Trail Blazers are still in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs. The first-time All-Star should be a cinch to win Most Improved Player as he’s putting together a career year. The first Israeli-born player selected to the NBA All-Star Game is averaging 25.5 points per game, easily the best of his career and a significant jump from his first season with the Blazers (16.9).

Forward Pascal Siakam from Cameroon was named to his fourth All-Star game as a reserve despite the Indiana Pacers’ abysmal record. Siakam has led the Pacers in scoring and rebounding this season, averaging 23.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.

Two potential injury replacements on the World team are Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen and Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun.

Finland’s Markkanen ranks ninth in the league in scoring (27.9). He would be the ideal small ball 4 or stretch 4, allowing the guards on the World team space to operate. Sengun, who powered Turkey to a silver medal at EuroBasket 2025, is enjoying the best season of his young NBA career, posting career highs in points, assists, steals, blocks, field goal attempts, and free throw percentage.

About the only question marks for the World team are health and availability. Jokic is nursing a knee injury, Doncic has had an assortment of ailments, and Antetokounmpo will likely miss the All-Star game because of a calf injury. If fully healthy and able to participate in the showcase event in L.A., the World team is a scary squad on paper.

Team World’s starting backcourt of Luka and Shai are the top two scorers in the NBA, and its massive starting frontcourt could block the sun.

In a perfect situation, one of the U.S. teams will play Team World in the finals. And don’t bet against the World team.

Memo to rebuilding NBA franchises. When evaluating LaMelo Ball, let your eyes dictate. Ignore the noise.

If you’re an NBA scout or executive, don’t judge LaMelo because of what you’ve read or heard about him. Don’t let your disdain for his outspoken father, LaVar Ball, influence your decision.  Don’t listen to the noise from pundits on TV or internet trolls. Watch him play and ask yourself this question, “Is LaMelo Ball the best prospect in the 2020 NBA draft?” The answer is a resounding “yes.”

The young man is a star in the making. He has more followers on Instagram than Zion Williamson. He brings a boatload of buzz to any arena that he plays in (if the coronavirus pandemic allows fans back in arenas). And based on his experiences on his family’s reality TV show “Ball in the Family” on Facebook Watch, he’s extremely comfortable being in the spotlight.

LaMelo is a 6-foot-7, 181-pound combo guard armed with unlimited shooting range and a handle that’ll make any Harlem Globetrotter salivate. Speaking of globetrotting, LaMelo — who turned 19 in August — is well traveled. His basketball odyssey has been anything but ordinary.

After just two seasons in high school, LaVar pulled him out of Chino Hills and placed him in a professional league in Lithuania. He took another detour and played in his father’s Junior Basketball Association (JBA). After contemplating another trip overseas, he decided to stay in the States and enrolled at SPIRE Institute in Ohio where he played for Jermaine Jackson, who later became his manager. LaMelo’s last pre-NBA stop was New Zealand where he played 12 games for the Illawarra Hawks, averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

LaMelo’s upbringing on the basketball court is unlike any before him, making it near impossible to compare him to even his own brother, former L.A. Lakers No. 2 overall pick and current starting New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball. But LaVar is convinced his youngest son is the best of all the Ball boys.

“Definitely Melo’s better than Lonzo at this age, on the fact that the people that Melo [was] playing against at 16 were not the same people Lonzo was playing at 16, 17,” LaVar said during an interview with Fox Sports Australia.

“I took Melo out of high school, so he’s not studying chemistry tests and social studies and all that,” LaVar said. “You’re practicing 24/7. All you’re doing is working on basketball… so you’re not playing regular high school guys, where Gelo and Zo played the high school route. That’s why Melo is so much better, because he’s got so much more experience, because I learned. This is a better road right here, if we do this. That’s why he’s prepared to come over here and be successful playing against grown men, because he already did that.”

OneManFastBreak.net breaks down the eight best players eligible for the 2020 NBA draft.

1-LaMelo Ball, G, Illawarra Hawks (New Zealand)
NBA comparison: Lonzo Ball
Scouting report: LaMelo Ball’s size allows him to play both guard positions, but he’s most comfortable at point where he can control the game. Does he shoot too much? Yes. Does he take bad shots? Yes. But with the proper coaching and right system, you can reel him in. He’s a much better shooter than big brother Lonzo and far superior athlete than other big bro LiAngelo. Melo is a gifted scorer who can score on all three levels. He can shoot the 3-ball, pull up at midrange and can finish at the rim with either hand. His creativity with the ball is comparable to Lonzo, but Lonzo has the huge edge over Melo on defense. Melo tends to drift and lose focus defensively. He’s so anxious to get the ball back on offense, he takes too many chances and gambles way too often. But at 6-7 and the potential to fill out to close to 200 pounds as his body matures, Melo’s defensive deficiencies can be fixed.

2-Anthony Edwards, G, Georgia
NBA comparison: Victor Oladipo
Scouting report: Anthony Edwards is a 6-5, 225-pound beastly shooting guard who can get buckets. He’s what most scouts would call a professional scorer. He reminds some scouts of a bigger version of Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo. Interestingly enough, Edwards played college ball for coach Tom Crean, who coached Oladipo when he was at the University of Indiana. Edwards can score in a variety of ways, but he’s most effective shooting off the dribble from midrange or behind the 3-point line. The 19-year-old averaged 19 points per game for a 16-16 Bulldogs squad that finished next-to-last in the SEC. It tells you he made and took a lot of shots on a bad team. The big red flag on Edwards’ resume is that he shot only 29 percent from 3-point range in college. But Crean warns scouts that “you’re going to miss a lot” if you’re purely judging Edwards by his shooting numbers.

3-Obi Toppin, F, Dayton
NBA comparison: Amar’e Stoudemire
Scouting report: Obi One is a late bloomer. It took a couple of years for the basketball community to take notice, but he’s got everyone’s attention now. He dominated at the mid-major level, leading Dayton to a 29-2 record and 18-0 in conference. If the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t cancel the NCAA tournament, Toppin and Dayton would have been a Final Four favorite. The 6-9 forward was the consensus national player of the year in college basketball, winning the Naismith and Wooden awards. He’s fundamentally sound, understands spacing and operates well in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations. Toppin is a smooth, versatile athlete who can play out in the wing or play a traditional power forward. He is compared to former Phoenix Suns star Amar’e Stoudemire for the way he dunks. If there’s one knock on him is that he’s 22 and may have already hit his ceiling. But who needs a ceiling if you can dunk like Obi One.

4-James Wiseman, F-C, Memphis
NBA comparison: Chris Bosh
Scouting report: James Wiseman is a tough one to evaluate since he only played three games at Memphis before shutting it down following an ugly eligibility battle with the NCAA. Wiseman, 19, has immense potential and has all the physical tools to be a dominant center. He has a great frame with long arms and excellent agility. He runs the floor well and is a high-level athlete for a 7-footer. What worries some teams is his lack of aggression. He can get pushed around, which is bad news if he’s going to play center full time. He’ll need to fill out more (listed at 235 pounds) and develop some upper body and lower body strength. He also relies a little too much on his left hand, but that appears to be the case for most lefties (look up James Harden, Lamar Odom, Manu Ginobili). Wiseman may have some black marks on his basketball resume, but the talent is undeniable. He can potentially be a 20-and-10 guy at the pro level and fit in any system.

5-Onyeka Okongwu, F-C, USC
NBA comparison: Serge Ibaka
Scouting report: Onyeka Okongwu was LaMelo Ball’s high school teammate for two seasons at Chino Hills, and a member of two California high school state championship teams. The two-time California high school player of the year has all the physical tools to be very good pro. The 6-9, 235-pound forward-center is blessed with soft hands, which enables him to catch seemingly every lob pass you throw to him near the rim. He’s also an outstanding shot blocker who can anchor a defense. Okongwu, 19, was one of the few brights on a disappointing season for the USC Trojans. His defense is ahead of his offense at this stage of the game but his offense is quickly catching up. He was mainly a roll guy in Andy Enfield’s scheme at USC, but he’s capable of facing up or playing with his back to the basket. Having played with the Ball brothers in high school, Okongwu is very comfortable on the big stage.

6-Deni Avdija, G-F, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
NBA comparison: Detlef Schrempf
Scouting report: Deni Avdija was once one of the best kept secrets in the draft, but the cat is out of the bag now. NBA execs are well aware of his talent and potential. The 19-year-old prodigy has been playing professionally for three years in the Euroleague for Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv. The 6-8 wing player has an intriguing skill set. He plays an all-around game with a deadly 3-point stroke. He is comfortable handling the ball or playing off the ball. He shoots with confidence and can put the ball on the deck if you run at him. What makes him different than most European players is he’s got a little bounce to his game and can finish strong at the rim. He’s got a great feel for the game, something he picked up from his father, Zufer, who also played professionally in Europe. Avdija is poised to become only the third Israeli to play in the NBA, after Omri Casspi and Gal Mekel. If a team is willing to roll the dice, Deni could be the steal of the draft.

7-Isaiah Stewart, F-C, Washington
NBA comparison: Montrezl Harrell
Scouting report: When you see Isaiah Stewart you see an imposing player who looks like he’s been living inside a weight room. He’s a rugged player who has an NBA-ready body. He’s Dwight Howard without the hops. He’s not a fluid athlete, a bit herky-jerky at times, but he brings a lunch-pail mentality to the table. Stewart averaged 17 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and shot 59 percent in his one season at Washington. He uses his 6-9, 250-pound frame very well and doesn’t shy away from contact. He compares favorably to super sub Montrezl Harrell. Stewart isn’t a polished player on offense, but he makes up for it with energy and effort. He has a high motor and loves to compete. He arguably outplayed his competition in high-profile matchups against top 2020 prospects James Wiseman, Onyeka Okongwu and Zeke Nnaji. “I feel like I am someone who can play in an NBA game tomorrow physically,” Stewart told ESPN.

8-Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
NBA comparison: Andre Miller
Scouting report: Haliburton was difficult to evaluate because he’s so unique. The closest NBA comp was Andre Miller. Miller played 17 years in the NBA for various teams. He didn’t wow you with anything he did on the court. He was solid and consistent. That’s Haliburton in a nutshell. Tyrese is not an explosive athlete. He plays a below-the-rim game and his shot looks … um … unorthodox. He shoots it on the way up and he doesn’t get much lift. It’s not the type of shooting form you teach young players. But it works for Haliburton. His sophomore season at Iowa State was cut short by a wrist injury, but he was still named second team All-Big 12 despite missing games.

Caption credit: LaMelo Ball played one season for the Illawarra Hawks in New Zealand. (Getty Images)