It’s fair to wonder if we’ll ever see the NBA All-Star Game return to being a competitive matchup, and commissioner Adam Silver hinted that may not be the case in the future. NBA countdown desk before Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday (3:30 mark).
“My concern about USA vs. International is that we may have passed the point where guys and teams are incentivized to play a competitive All-Star Game in the middle of the season,” Silver said in part. “It’s the nature of the league.”
SIlver then noted how some NBA legends, including Larry Bird, spoke to the All-Stars before the game and then added:
“I don’t think any of (the players) thought that we’re just not going to play hard. It’s just this type of group dynamic that takes over.
“And yet, I think, for example, of the shooting between Steph and Sabrina last year, which was the highlight of All-Star weekend. And my reaction is that maybe we need to play basketball, but we have to do something that, frankly, is a little different.” , that it’s about entertainment, that people want to see players do their best, but it has to be more than just a game.
“And even if it was the United States against Internacional, because there is a governor who prevents them from playing with everything, given how long the season is and the potential risk of injury.”
Silver’s comments were in response to a question from ESPN’s Michael Wilbon about the possibility of an All-Star Game between the United States and International to make the midseason showdown a more competitive venture. He then asked what could be done if United States versus International was not feasible.
This season’s All-Star Game included a return to the East vs. West, which took a backseat to the top voting leaders of the East and West who chose their teams through a draft for six years. That sparked some interest and a little more competition, but the games were still defensively optional most of the time.
But the 2024 All-Star Game was a glorified spectacle of dunks and 3-pointers that didn’t get good reviews. The defense was so porous that the East lost 211 points in a 25-point victory over the West.
The highlight of the weekend was the shootout between Steph and Sabrina, a refreshing and exciting event in a weekend that has become a little stale in some ways. As Silver noted, capturing that energy and thinking of similar ideas could certainly generate more interest and competition throughout the weekend.
Next year’s All-Star weekend will head to San Francisco’s Chase Center, Friday, February 14-Sunday, February 16.