NBA All-Star Game’s New Format: A Mixed Bag of Reactions
In the vibrant city of San Francisco, the NBA All-Star Game took on a fresh look this past Sunday night, and it certainly got people talking. The league decided to shake things up, moving away from the traditional East vs. West format. Instead, they introduced a four-team, single-elimination tournament with a target score of 40 points for each round. This new approach was met with a variety of opinions from players and fans alike.
The teams were an interesting mix, with three of them being drafted by the well-known TNT “Inside the NBA” analysts: Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal. Barkley’s team was dubbed Chuck’s Global Stars, Smith’s team was Kenny’s Young Stars, and O’Neal’s team was Shaq’s OGs. The fourth team, named Candace’s Rising Stars, was made up of the winning squad from Friday night’s Rising Stars event.
While the action on the court was generally well-received, the format’s numerous breaks drew criticism. Comedian Kevin Hart was on hand to entertain the crowd at Chase Center, but his commentary and banter led to frequent stoppages in play. This didn’t sit well with some players.
“To be honest, I didn’t like it at all,” said Trae Young, who played for Chuck’s Global Stars. “I didn’t like the breaks. The games were so short. Obviously, we can score. So, they’re trying to, I feel like, trying to extend the game, extend the TV time with the breaks and things like that.”
The championship game saw Shaq’s veteran-laden squad, featuring stars like Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, and Kevin Durant, defeat Chuck’s team of international talents, including Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama. However, a nearly 20-minute break during the game for a tribute to the TNT broadcast crew, which is in its final year covering All-Star Weekend, was another point of contention.
“I would rather play without breaks,” Gilgeous-Alexander commented. “But I had fun, nonetheless. I feel like it was a little bit more towards the competitive side tonight, which is a good feeling, a step in the right direction. I guess it’s up to the guys that handle all that stuff to figure out what’s next and how to keep making it more and more interesting. Hopefully, we get there one day.”
Adding to the conversation, Jaylen Brown remarked, “I would say it’s not ideal to stop like that if you want guys to be physical. I think guys were still out there having fun. All the OGs, team old knees and old backs, we came out on top, so I don’t think anyone else should have had any excuses. It’s definitely not ideal.”
Curry, who scored 12 points in the championship game and earned the All-Star Game MVP, shared his thoughts on the new format. “We needed to change, needed some new life, new juice in the game, something kind of unexpected,” he said, noting his discussions with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and other league leaders.
Durant admitted that the format “took some getting used to,” while Draymond Green criticized the inclusion of first- and second-year Rising Stars players. “I had to work so hard to play on Sunday night of All-Star Weekend,” Green said on the TNT broadcast. “And because ratings are down, because the game’s bad, we’re bringing in Rising Stars? I never played in the Rising Stars game. My first two years, I didn’t touch that game. And these guys get to touch the All-Star floor? On Sunday night?”
The absence of injured stars like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Anthony Edwards also put a damper on the game.
- Chuck’s Global Stars bested Kenny’s Young Stars in the first semifinal matchup of the evening as Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting to fuel a 41-32 victory.
- Shaq’s OGs advanced to the championship with a 42-35 win over Candace’s Rising Stars.
- Damian Lillard scored a team-high nine points in the semifinal win and Curry contributed eight as Shaq’s OGs closed the game on a 14-7 run. Lillard drilled the game-winning 28-footer off a Durant assist.
“Once we got into the flow of things, it was pretty good,” Durant said. “The first game we played against the Rising Stars I thought was pretty good.”
Originally Written by: Michael C. Wright
