A new format, more teams, and greater efforts were all visible in the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend. However, the large number of ads and non-basketball-related fillers did dissuade the fans from getting the wholesome experience they wanted. Although an arguable improvement from last season, this needs a kick. Draymond Green spent most of the weekend talking about his reservations about the new format too… Who wouldn’t want to see a Giannis Antetokounmpo vs KD matchup again? Why not Steph vs Sabrina?

if you ask Antetokounmpo, he is all in having to fight his own battles. The possibility of a one-on-one tournament saw him give his approval. “Oh yeah, for sure. If I had the chance to play one-on-one with anybody, I would love to do it. And anything that can make the weekend more exciting, more fun for the viewers for the fans and the players, I would love to participate,” the Greek Freak said. And just maybe, Adam Silver is listening to his and the fans’ desperate appeal.

According to Front Office Sports: “One spy told FOS that a $1 million prize has been discussed for a one-on-one event at NBA All-Star Weekend.”

Inspired by the $200k grand prize that Napheesa Collier won, the best isolation scorers and behemoths of the game could take on each other in a classic park-like contest. In such a setting, it’s unlikely for an individual to not devote themselves to discharging effort. Self-respect is on the line after all.

Imagine dexterous scorers such as Kyrie Irving and James Harden battling it out with thousands itching for action. And aside from players having the opportunity to take the clock, the chance to win a million dollars could be an enticing driver to boost the effort the stars put into the game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo issues warning ahead of the rumors

The new tournament brought many questions for players. Amongst the various ideas, Giannis Antetokounmpo suggested taking the All-Star game to international destinations and playing a USA vs The World format – something that the NHL had success with. In addition, the Greek Freak was also asked about a possible one-on-one tournament. For Antetokounmpo, competing is ‘the essence’ of his character. And all it took for him to sign up was the fractional possibility of the NBA hosting such a competition.

However, it did come with a fair warning from his side.

Because it’s one man against another, Giannis Antetokounmpo feels the tournament can’t be won by microwave scoring alone. “You got to get a stop to get the ball. If you don’t get a stop, you’re not getting the ball. So it’s kinda hard,” he said.

Nonetheless, as fans want to see the competitive juices kick into the weekend again, a one-on-one tournament could be the perfect remedy. Antetokounmpo also went to the extent of recommending a location. “2027 All-Star game should be in Rio de Janeiro or in a city in China!” the Greek Freak wrote on X. All that remains is for Adam Silver to push the idea ahead. The players are waiting.

But there’s a big catch. Like any other event during the All-Star weekend, the framework for the selection process needs to be drawn up. A one-on-one competition answers to a large magnitude of NBA players’ interests. There are so many different styles of play, sizes, and other details to sort out.

As Giannis Antetokounmpo wondered. What happens if Kyrie Irving is pinned up against a Victor Wembanyama. Offensively, he might have a deeper bag of tricks. But when it comes to stopping a man more than a foot taller, what is the most KAI can do in a mismatch? So the specifics remain a blur.

Can the NBA keep just one common competition for all players or will it be filtered into multiple groups? Such is the nature of questions that jump into my head. But nonetheless, introducing such a tournament does cultivate excitement. Fans have been looking forward to it, and by the looks of it, so are the players.

The bridge towards making it a possibility is still to be built. However, with the reception the idea has received, it does possess the power to turn the All-Star weekend around.