In an attempt to revamp the NBA’s struggling All-Star weekend, the league has decided to replace the traditional All-Star game with a pickup-style tournament.
Team captains for this new format will be TNT analysts and NBA veterans Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith.
This change confirms previous reports suggesting a shift to a tournament format. The debut of this new format will take place on Feb. 16 during the Golden State Warriors’ hosting of the annual All-Star festivities. Instead of the usual Sunday All-Star game, the league will host a one-day tournament with four teams, each consisting of eight players.
One outspoken critic of the new format is Kevin Durant, who described it as “terrible.” Here’s a breakdown of how the All-Star tournament will operate:
How the All-Star tournament works
Three teams will be formed from the 24 selected All-Stars, with Barkley, O’Neal, and Smith drafting the teams known as Team Chuck, Team Shaq, and Team Kenny. The draft will be televised on TNT on Feb. 6, similar to past All-Star drafts where player captains selected teams.
The fourth team will be the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 14. This challenge features four teams of first- and second-year NBA players and G League standouts competing in a three-game tournament. The Rising Stars format serves as the inspiration for the new All-Star Sunday tournament.
TNT analyst Candace Parker will be the honorary general manager of the Rising Stars team advancing to Sunday’s tournament, known as Team Candace.
The All-Star team coaches will be from the NBA teams with the best records in the Eastern and Western conferences as of Feb. 2. These head coaches will lead two of the All-Star teams, with assistant coaches guiding the Rising Stars team and the third All-Star team.
The tournament will consist of two semifinals and a championship game, each played to 40 points. The league has not specified how the teams will be seeded.
Kevin Durant on new format: ‘I hate it’
Kevin Durant has been vocal about his disapproval of the new format, calling it “terrible.” During a recent interview, Durant expressed his preference for a return to the East vs. West format:
I asked Kevin Durant what he thought about the new format for the NBA All-Star Game: “I hate it. 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,” Durant said. “Absolutely hate it. It’s terrible. All-Star game formats changing — all the formats are terrible in my opinion. We should just go back to East-West, just play a game.
“I think we’ve been trying to bring that flair back somehow with the All-Star weekend. But I think we just keep it traditional. But we’ll see how this one works. You never know. I might be wrong. I’m just another guy with another opinion.”
Despite Durant’s criticisms, the league is introducing a cash prize to motivate players. A total prize pool of $1.8 million will be at stake, with varying amounts awarded to players on the semifinal and championship teams.
The NBA hopes that this new pickup-style tournament will inject more competition and excitement into the All-Star weekend, which has struggled to maintain fan interest in recent years. By making significant changes like this, the league aims to create a more engaging and entertaining All-Star experience for both players and fans.