2024 NBA All Star Game rules explained

The NBA All-Star Game is going to be a little bit different this year than it has been in years past.

The big game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. It will be the 73rd annual NBA All-Star Game.

But what specifically will make this year's All-Star Game different than the previous few? Is there something new about this year's game?

Well, yes and no. The format for this year's game is different from last year's, but the format the NBA is going with this year is more similar to the original format for the NBA All-Star Game.

2024 NBA All-Star Game rules and format

Over the past several years, the NBA All-Star Game format has been different from the original. Instead of a traditional matchup between the Eastern and Western Conferences, the league switched to having two captains, one per conference.

The captains would then pick which players they wanted on their teams, regardless of conference. Last year, the captains were LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The fourth quarter was untimed and instead, set to conclude when one team reached or surpassed the final target score.

There are still two captains and a target score, but the NBA All-Star Game will be returning to its old format, with the Eastern and Western Conferences facing off against one another. All quarters will be a traditional 12 minutes, but teams will continue to compete to win each quarter for a charitable organization of their choosing.

12 players are selected per conference to fill out the rosters.

As previously mentioned, the game will be played on Sunday, Feb.18 and will start at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. The game will air on TNT.

So, while the NBA is keeping pieces of last year's format, the traditional East vs. West showdown will be making its return next Sunday.