NBA presents new AllStar game format in an effort to boost competition level
Dec 17, 2024
Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
After a disastrous few rounds of defensive-optional, not competitive basketball, Adam Silver is trying to shake things up. The NBA All-Star game isn’t what it used to be. What was once a thrilling, competitive game showcasing the best basketball players the world had to offer has in recent years become a non-competitive, defense-optional, glorified shootout to the point that even Commissioner Adam Silver was visibly disgusted after last season’s game. Whether it’s players not wanting to exude the energy, avoid injury or just deferring, it hasn’t been a fun event for fans hoping to watch some real basketball.
As a result, the NBA is shaking things up for the 2025 All-Star Game, announcing today that similar to the format the Rising Stars Challenge has taken in recent years, the All-Star Game will be a mini tournament with four teams playing a total of three games: two semifinals and final. The first team to reach 40 points wins, and the winners of Games 1 and 2 will play in the Game 3 to determine the champion. As extra incitive to play harder, there will be a cash pool of prize money, with the players on the winning team receiving $125,000 each, second place gets $50,000, and 3rd and 4th place receives $25,000 per player.
The first three teams will be the 24 selected All-Stars and be divided into teams of eight, managed by TNT’s Inside the NBA analysts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith, who will draft their teams from the pool of players. The fourth team will be the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge — be it one of the teams of rookies and second-year players or the G League squad — and will be represented by Candace Parker.
The voting process for All-Stars will remain the same, with starters being determined by 50% fan vote, 25% players and 25% media vote. The seven reserves for each team will be selected by the NBA head coaches, and the now four All-Star head coaches will come from the coaching staffs of the top team in each conference after February 2.
Fan voting begins on December 19 and ends on January 20, and fans can submit one ballet each day by going to NBA.com/vote. The starters will be revealed on January 23, and the reserves on January 30. The All-Star game itself will take place on Sunday, February 16 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. We’ll remind you again when voting opens, but remember to go vote for Victor Wembanyama and any other Spur you deem fit to represent San Antonio at All-Star Weekend!
What do you think, Pounders? Do you like the All-Star game changing to a tournament format, and will it help boost the competition level of the event after a few years of disappointment, or do you prefer just a normal basketball game? (Kevin Durant has already said he hates it and would prefer to go back to the East-West format, so take that how you will.)