by Adam Silver felt like he had to do something. For years, All-Star players — guys like Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Devin Booker — have tried to avoid injuries more than anything else, which has made the NBA’s All-Star Game a can’t-miss, defenseless show. Last season the league went retro, reverting to East vs. West and the final score was 211-186.
That’s why the NBA turned Sunday’s game on its head this year: The 24 All-Star players will be divided into three teams of eight and will play games in a four-team tournament alongside the winning team of the rookie/sophomore Rising Stars game 40.
Durant, Davis and Booker all had the idea. Durant hasn’t done anything about it, he hates the new format.
I asked Kevin Durant what he thought about the new format of the NBA All-Star Game: “I hate it. I absolutely hate it. Terrible…We should just go back to East-West.” pic.twitter.com/T7owR5aJY7
– Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 17, 2024
“I hate it, I absolutely hate it. Terrible. All-Star Game format change, all formats – terrible in my opinion. We should just go back to East-West. Just play a game. I think we did that.” I’m trying to kind of bring that flavor back with All-Star Weekend. I think we’ll see how this works. You never know, I could be wrong, I’m just another guy with an opinion, but we’ll see how it works out.
Hey Kevin, last year the league tried the East-West thing again and the players showed they had no desire to make it competitive. So the NBA tried to find a new format that might force some competition, and while I’m skeptical it’ll work, it’s better than doing something we know – what we saw a year ago – that it doesn’t work.
Booker echoed Durant, via Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.
“It’s a change, it’s different,” Booker, a four-time All-Star, said after practice Wednesday. “I’m more into nostalgia. I agree with Kev. I like East versus West with your own team jersey. I like the old jerseys. It’s whatever.”
Anthony Davis of the Lakers, also not a fan.
Anthony Davis on the new All-Star Game format: “I don’t really like it. But we’ll see how it goes this year and whether they change it or not.”
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) December 18, 2024
The new format calls for 24 All-Stars – the same number as previous years, with the 10 starters chosen by fans/players/media and the other 14 selected by coaches. These 24 players will be divided into three teams of eight, with one member of the Inside the NBA crew (Shaq, Charles Barkley or Kenny Smith) serving as the GMs who assemble the teams. These three teams, as well as the winning team from Friday night’s Rising Stars game, will be placed into a four-team knockout tournament. Teams play games to 40, and the winners of the first two games meet in a championship game.
The way they’ve played this season, Durant, Booker and Davis should all easily be in San Francisco for the All-Star Game. We’ll see what they think of the new format after playing in it.
