- NBA fans favor USA vs. World NBA All-Star game format 4 to 1
- NBA fans support for a European-based NBA league 2 to 1
National Basketball Association (NBA) fans anticipate seeing whether U.S. teams led by all-stars Steph Curry and Anthony Edwards can match up against a team led by international NBA all-stars such as Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama.
By a 4 to 1 margin (54% interest vs. 13% disinterest), NBA fans are excited about the new All-Star Game format, according to a recent Seton Hall Sports Poll. This new format will feature two teams of American players and one team of international players competing in a round-robin style tournament on February 15th at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA.
This change highlights a recent trend of success by international players throughout the NBA. The last seven NBA Most Valuable Player Awards have gone to an international player. In contrast, just four of the previous 63 MVPs were awarded to international players.
“The NBA recognized that a long-time jewel of the Association, the All-Star Game, needs revision,” said Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management and the Seton Hall Sports Poll at the Seton Hall Stillman School of Business. “Embracing the international nature of its labor force for the All-Star Weekend also serves the long-term goal of international expansion of the game. It’s a smart move.”
I am excited that the 2026 NBA All-Star format is shifting to a USA vs. The World game between American and international players.
These results are derived from a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted January 27th through 30th among 1,596 U.S. adults. The Poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute within Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business, features a nationally representative sample from YouGov Plc., weighted on U.S. Census Bureau figures for age, gender, ethnicity, education, income and geography with a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percent.
The NBA and Europe
The NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) are working to create a new NBA-branded league made up of European-based teams. This could prove to be an asset to the NBA, not just for the impact on European fandom, but also for growth among American NBA fans.
When polled, American NBA fans are 2 to 1 in support (42% interest vs. 21% disinterest) in an NBA European league.
I am interested in the upcoming 2027 European-based NBA league
There is a risk
If a new NBA league starts and grows in Europe, NBA fans may wonder if international talent would still want to come to the U.S. to play in the NBA. When asked, 76 percent of NBA fans believe that the best globally would still want to come to the U.S. to play basketball, while only 3 percent disagreed.
I expect the best professional basketball players from around the world will want to play in the NBA.
January 2025 Seton Hall Sports Poll
Daniel Ladik, Ph.D., Methodologist – daniel.ladik@shu.edu
This SHSP was conducted January 27th through January 30th and includes responses from 1,596 U.S. adults with a margin of error of +/- 3.0%. The sample mirrors the U.S. Census percentages on age, gender, income, education, ethnicity, and region.
Q1. Which of the following statements best describes you?
*Note: Presented in each table, Avid + Casual = total sports fandom in the data. Some tables break out the Avid and Casual segments.
Q2c. What is your level of interest in the National Basketball Association (NBA)?
Q14a. I am excited that the 2026 NBA All-Star format is shifting to a USA vs. The World game between American and international players.
Q14b. I am interested in the upcoming 2027 European-based NBA league.
Q14c. I expect the best professional basketball players from around the world will want to play in the NBA.
