This year’s NBA All-Star Game is just around the corner and it’s going to be an event that we’ve never seen before.
A select few of the world’s best players from across the league will be taking part in the iconic annual exhibition match at the home of the Golden State Warriors.
Typically, the game would be a traditional 48-minute clash between fan-voted players from the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.
However, after some controversy about the 2024 exhibition which was labelled ‘unwatchable’, there have been some major changes this time around…
NBA All-Star Game 2025: Rules and format
So, the 2025 All-Star Game will not be in the usual format.
This season, a mini-tournament is replacing the traditional single game, with 24 players making up three teams while the winner of the Rising Stars game are the fourth.
Those four teams of eight players will play in two semi-final clashes, with the winner of each semi moving on to the championship game.
In each game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points.
A unique addition to the new format is that the teams will be picked by TNT’s Inside the NBA panel – Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
After the 24 All-Stars are selected, the three panellists and NBA legends will draft their teams on February 6, creating Team Charles, Team Shaq and Team Kenny.
The fourth team in the tournament is the winning Rising Stars team as mentioned, and they will be named Team Candace after WNBA legend and TNT analyst Candace Parker.
To decide the 24 All-Stars, the vote remains the same, with fans, current NBA players and a media panel’s votes selecting the players.
Each team will be led by a head coach or assistant from the top teams in the Eastern and Western Conference at the time.
The 2025 All-Star game prize pot is set at $1.8million, with each player on the winning team receiving $125,000.
Players get $50,000 each for coming second while the third and fourth teams are rewarded with $25,000 each.
NBA All-Star Game 2025: Date and start time
The NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, February 16.
It will be held at the Chase Center in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The game will be the main event of All-Star Weekend which begins on Friday, February 14 with the Celebrity Game and the Rising Stars match.
The skills challenge, three-point contest and dunk contest will take place on Saturday 15.
Tip-off in the All-Star clash is expected at around 8pm ET on the Sunday, which is at 1am on Monday morning in the UK.
NBA All-Star Game 2025: How to follow
The game will be broadcast live on TNT Sports in the UK.
More details on coverage is set to follow but in the meantime, fans can find out more details on TNT Sports’ NBA coverage here.
You can sign up to discovery+ and TNT Sports here too.
talkSPORT and talkSPORT.com will keep you up to date with the latest.
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