The NBA is thinking about changing the format for the upcoming All-Star Game in San Francisco, as stated by Commissioner Adam Silver on Saturday night.
Speaking before the Miami-Washington game in Mexico City, Silver mentioned that he has wanted a more competitive All-Star event for a while. Last season, the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference 211-186, setting a record for the most points scored in the game’s 73-year history and marking the first time a team scored over 200 points.
“We’re looking at other formats,” Silver said, without giving details about what might change. “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 also mentioned that the league is considering making the All-Star Game “not a traditional game format,” but he didn’t clarify what that might mean.
In recent years, the league has made several adjustments to the All-Star format. These changes have included replacing the long-standing East vs. West matchup with a draft picked by team captains and using an untimed fourth quarter with a target score to ensure the game ends on a made shot.
Last year’s game returned to the traditional setup of four full 12-minute quarters with East vs. West, resulting in a high-scoring game with nearly 400 total points and 168 three-point attempts.
“Obviously, it wasn’t high intensity, at all,” said Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton after the game, noting that five players scored at least 30 points, including Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 50 points off the bench on 35 shots.
Silver mentioned that with the All-Star Game set for February 16 in San Francisco, he has asked Golden State star Stephen Curry to help make the game more competitive this season. Any changes would likely require the involvement of the National Basketball Players Association as well.
“It’s a home game for him,” Silver said, noting that he has had “direct conversations” with Curry about this. “I know he’s very prideful and wants to make sure the players put their best foot forward.”
Curry indicated last year that players had discussed “a little bit” about ways to make the All-Star Game more competitive. The league has wanted this for some time, hoping that a better All-Star contest would improve TV ratings and attract more outside interest.
“I think everyone was disappointed in what they saw last year,” Silver said. “It wasn’t just the league. It was the players as well, the players association. I think we all did what we thought we could, thinking particularly in Indiana, sort of the heartland of basketball, we would see a more competitive game.”
Silver also noted that no one expects the All-Star Game to have the same intensity as playoff games. He stated that league executives Byron Spruell, Joe Dumars, and Evan Wasch have created a committee to speak with team representatives and the players association to find a solution.
“We want to do something that will excite the fans and also excite the players, so it’s something they’ll be enthusiastic about playing in,” Silver said.
