DETROIT – Detroit Pistons leading man J.B. Bickerstaff was named head coach for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game after his new look “Bad Boys” clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference through Feb. 1.
The National Basketball Association made the announcement on Saturday (Jan. 24), when the Chicago Bulls beat the Boston Celtics at the United Center.
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The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is scheduled for Feb. 15, where Bickerstaff and Cade Cunningham will represent the city of Detroit.
J.B. Bickerstaff will officially be a head coach for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game! ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/geeHSWfx8v
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 25, 2026
It will be Bickerstaff’s first time coaching in the game, for Bickerstaff, who finished as the runner-up for Coach of the Year last season.
The game will be the first of its kind, as three teams will suit up: two composed of Americans and one of international players.
The three teams will compete in four 12-minute games, with the top two advancing to the championship game.
The Pistons sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 32-11 record in Bickerstaff’s second season with the team.
The 32-11 record this season shows growth under Bickerstaff’s regime as he led the Pistons to a 44-38 record during the 2024-2025 season.
Bickerstaff helped turn the franchise around, as the Pistons had a combined 31-133 record in the two years prior to his arrival.
All-Star head coaches traditionally come from the team with the best record in each conference at the All-Star break.
The defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder holds the No. 1 spot at 37-9, but head coach Mark Daigneault will be replaced by San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, who sits in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference.
The reason for the switch is that NBA rules prohibit the same coach from coaching in consecutive All-Star Games, as Daigneault did in 2024.
Under Bickerstaff’s leadership, Detroit has transformed into the best team in the Eastern Conference, led by Cunningham, who is now a two-time All-Star point guard averaging 25.3 points and a league-leading 9.7 assists per game.
--> MotorCade arrives: Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham named All-Star starter in USA vs. World game
MotorCade is shooting 45.1% from the field, 32.1% from three-point range, and 82.3% from the free-throw line.
Like the Motor City Bad Boys in the 1980s, early 1990s, and the early to mid-2000s, Detroit’s success is also due to its defense.
The Pistons are averaging 10.4 steals and 6.7 blocks per game, both of which are the highest among all NBA teams.
Detroit’s defensive rating of 108.5 ranks second in the league, according to NBA.com.