For the better part of a decade, the NBA has been on a quest to discover an All-Star Game format that resonates with both fans and players. The quest for change gained momentum in 2018 when fans expressed a desire for more entertainment and excitement during the event. This led to a major overhaul of the All-Star format. It introduced the concept of two team captains selecting their teams from a pool of 24 players.

Five years down the line, the league is set to return to the classic showdown pitting the East against the West. The game will return to the traditional scoring system featuring four 12-minute quarters. According to Adam Silver, Chris Paul played a pivotal role in persuading him to revert to the old format.

Chris Paul’s role in the All-Star Game format change

Back in October, the NBA announced the 73rd NBA All-Star Game. It was scheduled for Sunday, February 18th at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and would embrace the classic format again. This decision appears to have been influenced by concerns raised by Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul.

In an interview with Mark Spears of ESPN, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver discloses crucial information regarding Chris Paul. Paul played a huge role in helping him understand the reasons behind the diminishing intensity of recent NBA All-Star Games.

According to Adam Silver, Chris Paul said, “You guys tell us how important the All-Star Game is, but then you change all our pregame protocols so that we don’t go through our typical routines as we would before a game because you have these elaborate introductions”.

He continued, “No complaint about the introductions. We understand why you do it, but then you expect us then to go out and be in the mindset that we’re playing a typical basketball game.”

Therefore, Adam Silver decided to take responsibility by making slight tweaks to the game format. The 2023 All-Star Game will have a shorter introduction and will see reduced halftime entertainment. He added, “I anticipate we’ll still have halftime entertainment. But it won’t be as long. I recognize this is not the Super Bowl. It’s an All-Star Game. It’s a different vibe, and we can still have an entertaining halftime but get the guys back on the floor in a more reasonable time.”

The 2024 All-Star game format

The All-Star Game in Indianapolis will feature the traditional scoring system with four 12-minute quarters. It will do away with the Elam Ending, which was incorporated in 2020. The voting process to determine the NBA All-Stars will remain the same, with 12 players selected from each conference. Team captains will be decided by a majority voting system during NBA All-Star Voting presented by AT&T.

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The NBA All-Star Game will no longer have an untimed fourth quarter or conclude when one team reaches or surpasses the Final Target Score. Instead, the teams will compete to win each quarter to benefit a charitable organization of their choosing.

Additionally, the 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be broadcast on TNT in the United States. The game will also be available to fans in over 200 countries and territories in more than 50 languages.

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