The NBA is thinking about changing up the All-Star Game again.
New Tournament Idea
According to Shams Charania, the NBA is discussing a new plan for the 2025 All-Star Game. This plan involves creating a four-team tournament. You can read more about it
.
Past Problems with Competitiveness
Adam Silver wasn’t happy with how last year’s game turned out. He even made a sarcastic comment congratulating the Eastern Conference for scoring the most points, hinting at the lack of real competition. The All-Star Game has long struggled with players not taking it seriouslyโthere’s little defense, and many stars either play lazily or skip it altogether to avoid injuries. It’s mostly just flashy dunks and long-distance shots.
Fans sometimes feel lost trying to keep up with whoโs on which team during these games.
Previous Attempts at Change
The league tried different things to make it better. They let top vote-getters pick teams like in schoolyard games, but fans found that confusing because they had to remember who was on Team LeBron or Team Giannis while players wore special jerseys with names hard to see. Another attempt was using quarter scores and aiming for a specific score in what’s called an "Elam Ending."
None of these changes really worked.
The Rising Stars Format
Now, theyโre considering something similar to what they do in the Rising Stars Challenge since 2022: split into four teams including rookies and G League players, playing short games with target scores. For the All-Stars, this means three teams from selected stars plus one from Rising Stars winners battling it out.
Wouldn’t it be fun if such young talents could actually surprise everyone?
A Simple Fix?
One simple change could make watching easier: let players wear their regular team jerseys instead of special ones! It might not boost competitiveness much but at least fans would know who’s who without having to guess based on random team assignments.
Keeping track of player movements is already tricky enough during regular seasonsโjust ask Charles Barkley!
"You’ve missed the same guy 7 years in a row" Chuck’s performance in "Who He Play For?" was NOT one to remember
A Shorter Experience
The upside of this new format? It should be shorter than beforeโa big plus given how boringly long it’s been getting lately!
