The NBA is seriously considering turning the All-Star Game into a four-team tournament, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
The proposed changes would take effect starting with this season’s All-Star weekend, which will take place in San Francisco at the Chase Center, Golden State’s home arena, from Feb. 14-16.
Instead of the typical two teams with 12 players each, the 24 All-Stars would be separated into three teams of eight players apiece, Charania explains. The fourth team would be the winner of the Rising Stars competition. The tournament would feature two rounds, with the victors of round one (Team 1 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 4) advancing to the final.
While the plans have not yet been finalized, all signs point to the league eventually implementing the changes, two sources tell Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).
According to Charania, NBA officials discussed the proposed format on Friday with the Competition Committee, which consists of team governors, executives, coaches, players and union personnel. The league has been discussing format changes with team officials and players for several months, and the four-team tournament quickly became the most popular plan.
Commissioner Adam Silver stated a couple weeks ago that the league was looking for a new All-Star format after last season’s contest in Indianapolis was universally panned for its lack of defense and abundance of long three-point shots. The East defeated the West 211-186 in a listless affair despite a plea from league executive Joe Dumars to take the game seriously and put forth a better effort.
“We’re looking at other formats,” Silver said. “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.”
As Reynolds writes in a full story, the new format is similar to what has been used for the Rising Stars event in recent years. That four-team tournament features a target score for both the semifinal and final.
What’s less clear is how the All-Star voting process would work, according to Reynolds, who notes that at least one more coach would likely be needed as well.
Charania hears the most popular All-Star event from last season, the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA three-point shootout between Warriors guard Stephen Curry and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, will likely return in February, though it may be tweaked to include more players. Sources tell Charania that Mavericks wing Klay Thompson and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark are among the candidates to join Curry and Ionescu.
The players want to play LESS games. Just shorten the game to 40 minutes and let the fans know its just for entertainment purposes only.
Problem is they’re trying to make it competitive, none of the big 4 sports in north America have competitive all star games.
It’s non competitive because there are no stakes. Go watch the MLB all star games when the winner determined home field advantage in the WS. Those guys were playing like the game mattered, because it did.
Sports are only for entertainment and nothing else, right?
So, what else can anyone expect?
I would like more games, same minutes, longer seasons, that would please everybody!
I mean it might be interesting, but the rising stars will prolly just be completely useless as a participant. I liked the idea of doing 3 on 3 tourney with 8 teams playing 3 on 3 rules. I think it might be different enough that everyone tries hard for each of the 12 min games.
I think it would be fun to see Steph/Sabrina vs Klay/Clark
This!
Why shoehorn WNBA players into the NBA all star festivities? Why is it the responsibility of NBA fans to ensure the growth of the WNBA? Why even have a WNBA All-Star weekend if the only players people want to see are just going to be in the NBAs?
Should the NBA all star game not be about the athletes IN THE NBA?
And before I get the wraith of the white knights, I have a problem with McClung being able to participate in the dunk contest while NOT playing in the NBA. Don’t turn this into something it’s not.
Why dont you play hide and go F yourself!
As kids girls and boys play sports. Up through college they compete at the same high level. From high school athletics on girls get let down with funding and support. Look at the differences a few years ago in how the athletes were supported in march madness even though women pull down higher ratings. You have decades where it was considered not ok for women to even play sports that the mens games could grow. But no yeah we shouldnt put in annnnyyy effort to build up the womens games so that top female athletes have a chance to be professionals. Oh and they have ratings growth for viewership of their league while the mens has been declining, so maybe theyre helping the NBA with exposure not the other way around. Far be it for the sports leagues that were mens only and got to start their roots in the 1800s spend any money or effort helping to eliminate a discriminatory system that they benefited from by having a monopoly on most types of athletics…
Klay was mentioned, expect the hater to respond soon.
The only thing I do watch during the all star weekend is just the 3 point shoot out.
Other than that, the highlights are sufficient enough.
I dont know why a Ws fan would hate on Klay? I mean he brought 4 titles to the bay, then he decided to jump ship for a “contender” thinking he was getting the starting role and a better team, but instead the Warriors can actually play defense and are top of the table while Klay took the curse of every game is clutch and you lose way too many of them with him to DAL.
Hope he has a good year while they miss the playoffs, of course his O/D numbers arent great. Couldnt happen to a nicer franchise with better new owners and a less temper boy star lols…..
I speak on behalf of all Warriors fans when I say Klay participated on a team that got four championships, he did not win them.
The team paid him a maximum contract and two of the years he was out hurt, he never was the same player after.
When it was time to get paid he wanted big money but also wanted to start, however, Klay is now a huge defensive liability since he can’t guard anyone so whatever points he scores he gives up double.
So him leaving was a win for the Warriors and will eventually be a loss for Dallas. Sometimes you have to love a friend from a far.
He was very very important to both the offense and D. They dont win 4 without him, but they maybe win 22. I thought he had a pretty good series in that one too though. Glad hes happy since the Ws are way better with Melton/Heild/Slo than Klay CP and the defensive turnstyle they bring
Oh look, here he is using his newly created burner account acting like the same way like he is on his main account. Him and his copium takes.
It’s his burner account for his fourth burner account.
Just cancel the stupid game and have the other s**t instead. Rather see them play a game of flag football than the nonsense its been the past 30 years.
remember the mascot dunk contest? hugo’s “bug on a windshield”, epic.
The NBA is nothing but gimmicks now. First the ridiculous in season tournament and now this. No wonder ratings and attendance are dropping.
You’re just kvetching. How is the in season tournament ridiculous? Hardcore fans are either gonna watch a particular game or not. It did drum up interest from casual fans as ratings were up for games during the same time period from the season prior. Because of cord cutting and streaming television ratings in general are down, not jut the NBA. In person attendance was up by 2% compared to the 2022-2023 regular season.
Its fine or whatever but the FA cup theyre copying in EFL is a tournament thats been going over a century and the real fun of it is that it starts with the tiers in the sport that are basically amateur Saturday teams, and play a bunch of rounds so theoretically your buddies Saturday beer after team can win through and get fame and a multi-million payout. The story lines everyone pays attention to that make it so popular are the crazy runs by low level pro teams to late rounds where they play premier league teams. Giant killings by lower level teams are by far the draw. It just doesnt work the same with only one league where its just shrug emoji.
Fans dont care if rich players get a little richer. If they did the 31st pick in the draft or HC for the whole post season or something that the team wins and fans appreciate it would have a lot more stakes for the team/fans/players.
This is a great idea, common Curry W.
What about the in-season pre-all star tournament tournament to determine home court in the Finals..?
Pick the 24 all-stars, then make it the 12 higher paid vs the 12 lower paid players. Make it some what personal (“they shouldn’t be paid more than me”), then maybe the players will put in some effort
That might work..if part of the deal is they swap salaries for the rest of the season, otherwise the higher paid still won’t care. And that won’t ever happen.
Introducing a new circus clown won’t change the circus from being a circus instead of a serious competition. U.S. oligarch-owned and sports-monopolizing franchise leagues are there to generate maximum profits for their owners by fleecing a mindless herd of plebs, looking for distraction.
A tournament where the players don’t try as opposed to a single game doesn’t fix anything. The players are too wealthy to care. The all-star game is an accolade and nothing more nowadays.
The in season tournamnet must of made a fair bit of change last year..
The All Star game as a tournament?
Righto…
I don’t see how this adds a competitive element. I would add a stipulation to the old east vs west format. Which ever conference wins the ASG gets a five win kicker towards the NBA finals seeding. For instance, if Boston is 65-17 and Golden State is 61-21 then Golden State could secure home court if the west wins the ASG.