What is the NBA’s Current All-Star Game Format? 5 Years Into Moving on From East vs. West, Adam Silver’s NBA Tracks Back

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will mark the return of the ?classic format?. Since its inception in 1951, the game had been a match-off between the Eastern and Western Conference. But in 2018, it was changed to a draft format. With this, the highest vote-getters in each conference could choose from the pool of players who earned All-Star selections, regardless of their conference.?

Later in 2019, the league decided to televise that draft that had previously taken place over the phone. This was to let the fans join in on some of the fun. And then in 2020, ?the Elam Ending was added to try and make the closing quarter more competitive.?

All these changes were made to increase fan engagement and the overall competitiveness of the games. But it failed to do so, with many complaining about the format and asking for things to go back the way they were.?

Going back to the roots

The 73rd NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver explained, ?The theme this year is ‘Back to basketball’. we thought if there was ever a place to restore the NBA to something that seemed more classic was at an All-Star Game in Indianapolis.??

The games will feature the traditional scoring system with four 12-minute quarters. The team that scores the most points in 48 minutes wins. The selection of the team captains from each conference based on the results of a fan voting process has been retained. But the captains will not draft their roster. Instead of the usual, twelve players from each conference will be selected through the voting process.

Speaking on the change, Silver shared, ?It felt like it was time.I think the players recognize it, too, that last year?s All-Star Game was something no one was proud of, and I don?t think it was anyone?s fault in particular.? Silven went on to add, ?I think, though, that maybe we need to refocus ourselves on what this league is really about, and that?s about the best basketball in the world.?

A bit of history into All-Star Games

The games were conceived to exhibit the elite players of the league. When there were complaints of lack of competitiveness, the NBA decided to spice things up. From 2018 to 2023, they had team captains draft players from the pool of all-stars in two separate rounds to divide up the 10 starters and 14 reserves. LeBron James served as a captain for all six years, compiling a 5-1 record against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.

Later in 2020, to provide additional excitement at the finish, Elam Ending was introduced. To make the outcome of every quarter count, it was decided that there would be donations to the charity. Each quarter was allotted $100,000. And the chosen charitable organization of the highest scorer of that quarter would receive the money.?

For the fourth quarter, a final target score was allotted. It was determined by taking the leading team?s total cumulative score through three quarters and adding 24 points. This was to pay tribute to Koby Bryant who passed away that year. The teams would then play an untimed fourth quarter. The first team to reach the Final Target Score won the NBA All-Star Game.

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While this worked for some time, ultimately, it proved too confusing to the viewers. The 2023 game was especially a huge failure as Denver Nuggets Coach Michael Malone called it ?the worst basketball game ever played.? With LeBron and Giannis benched due to injuries, their teammates failed to entertain the crowd. This led to tired fans leaving for the exits and bored television viewers tuning out, all ?before the final buzzer.?

Undoing all the changes

With the next All-Star game, officials are hoping to rejuvenate the game and bring more interest to it. Commissioner Adam Silver explained on ESPN?s ?First Take,? ?I think we’ve lost sight a bit, that it’s about the game at the end of the day. A lot of it comes down to reinforcing with our players and our teams how important this is for the fans.?

He added that players, especially the young ones who are just coming into the league understand the generations and traditions that came before them. ?I think this is where the league has to reinforce we don’t expect playoff intensity. But we expect a competitive game for our fans, and that’s what All-Star is.?

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