“The state of the game is excellent” — the declaration was heard in every corner of the Chase Center’s press room— Adam Silver made the declaration during the Annual All-Star weekend press conference. As the sound of pencils zapping through papers occasionally interrupted the voice recordings, Silver kept on speaking. While he was occupied with that, the NBA stars were getting ready for the skill challenges. Was it entertaining? The consensus has remained negative for years now. But that could change as Kyrie Irving finally comes forward with an idea to aid Silver’s narrative.

The NBA commissioner didn’t leave any pages unturned to find a solution to the everlasting All-Star problem. Competitiveness, variation, the thrill, everything seems missing from those watching from outside. But a successful formula from an independent scene could just work. As Kyrie Irving was walking through the Chase Center with Rachel Nichols ahead of the All-Star game, the Mavs ace had his eureka moment.

“Yes,” Kyrie answered with glee to the query about his Unrivaled experience. The world took notice of the latest innovation in women’s basketball and Kyrie did too. Clear from his answer, the 1v1 contest impressed Irving. So why not have it during the All-Star weekend too? Nichols’ question was met with an agreement, as Kyrie said, “I’m open to it. When there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

The state of the prestigious event is “embarrassing” to many. When Nichols pointed that out, the 9-time All-Star refuted it. “I don’t think anybody’s embarrassed. I just think that there has to be an appreciation there first of what you do. Because it you gotta commentate a little bit differently than you do five on five. There’s an appreciation for seeing a 1v1 matchup that I think, goes beyond just what the traditional space is now. So maybe if we create that, I’m with that.”

Adam Silver made one thing clear. “I’m not one of those people who said I don’t read criticism,” he said during the presser. So chances are, Kyrie’s suggestion will reach Silver’s ears. As things stand, Silver might even want to consider it next year after multiple attempts at reviving the NBA’s prestigious event fell flat.

Adam Silver’s All-Star plans need a boost after multiple mishaps

One of the biggest highlights of the All-Star weekend in Indy last year was the 3-point contest between Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry. Now that Curry is in his backyard this year, hopes were high over a potential Splash Brothers vs WNBA Stars match-up. Steph and Klay vs Sabrina and Caitlin Clark would’ve been a prime television experience. But we’re not so lucky after all.

“We weren’t able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar off of last year’s special moment,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. “We all agreed not to proceed and will instead keep the focus on All-Star Sunday’s new format.” Apart from this, another major failure that probably left Adam Silver red-faced was the Skill Challenge of Saturday night.

After Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul got disqualified for being too smart for their good, the Bay Area’s own, Draymond Green, disappointed big time. The veteran became a laughingstock with his performance if Draymond even had to publicly clarify how bad he felt. And there was the Dunk contest too. Mac McClung spectacularly saved the contest after his 3 other competitions failed to leave a mark. The disappointment was immeasurable, and the night was ruined.

So now, it’s up to Adam Silver to make a move. He has his plates full at the moment of expansion talks, but addressing the major issues of the All-Star weekend remains a priority amid the dwindling viewership numbers.