The NBA is reportedly considering yet another change to the All-Star Game format after the league was disappointed with last season’s results.
Although All-Star Weekend used to be one of the most exciting times of the year for the NBA, the league has begun to lose steam concerning the number of viewers who tune in for the All-Star Game.
Instead, many people watched different events during the weekend, such as the Skills Contest, Dunk Contest, or Three-Point Contest.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Friday that the league has been discussing potential changes to the All-Star Game with multiple players, including Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, that would create “a fresh and creative path forward” for the game.
“This quick-burst, four-team tourney among the game’s greatest players gained momentum among all parties, according to sources,” Charania said, per NBC 5 DFW.
Charania detailed the potential changes and said the league is considering a new tournament-style format that would begin with the 2025 All-Star Game at Chase Center.
This new format would feature four teams, including three teams of eight players made up of that year’s All-Stars and the winning team from the NBA’s Rising Stars game earlier in the weekend, per NBC DFW.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has previously backed up these reports, adding that the league is “looking at other formats” and has begun evaluating ways to make the All-Star Game “not a traditional game format.”
“I think there’s no doubt that the players were disappointed as well in last year’s All-Star Game. We all want to do a better job providing competition and entertainment for our fans,” Silver explained, per NBA.com.
The NBA has bounced around multiple formats for the All-Star Game in recent years, opting to bring back the traditional Eastern Conference versus Western Conference matchup during the 2023 season.
A previous format included a draft in which two team captains took turns selecting the players they would like on their teams prior to the game, with the eventual winners receiving various prizes for their victory.
While a potential shift into a tournament style would mark a significant change for the league, there is no guarantee that this format will be implemented.
A shift into a tournament-style All-Star Game would mark a significant change for the league in the format for the weekend, though it remains unclear if the league chooses to implement these changes this season or in the future.
