The NBA All-Star weekend used to be something fans and players looked forward to every year. The skills competitions, such as the dunk contest, three-point contest, and the skills challenge, still have some excitement. But the actual All-Star game is not something fans have welcomed in recent years.
Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA decision makers changed the format of the All-Star game last year. It featured four teams taking part in a single-elimination tournament. The hope was to have a more competitive product on the court, which seemed to be accomplished. Still, players and fans were not as happy with the format.
“I didn’t like the breaks. The games were so short. Obviously, we can score. So, they’re trying to, I feel like, trying to extend the game, extend the TV time with the breaks and things like that,” Trae Young said, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
Young was not alone in this thought. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylen Brown both expressed their dissatisfaction with the stoppages that occurred. Fans showed their lack of excitement by not watching. According to Yahoo Sports, last year’s All-Star game saw viewership drop 13%.
With the intention of boosting ratings, the NBA has announced this year’s All-Star game will feature a USA vs. World format.
New NBA All-Star Game Format Explained
GettyThis year’s All-Star game will be NBA vs. World.
The USA vs. World format comes with a little bit of a twist. Instead of it being a team vs. team matchup, the game will feature three separate teams consisting of eight players. Two of the teams will represent the USA, and the third team will represent the rest of the world.
The 24 players participating will be chosen in the same way as it has taken place in the past. The starting five for each conference will be selected via fan vote, player vote, and media panel vote. The remaining 14 players (seven from each conference) will be selected by the head coaches around the league. If there are not at least 16 USA-based players or eight international players, Adam Silver will then select additional All-Stars until that requirement is filled.
The NBA has not yet released how the two USA teams will be split up, but the actual event is a round-robin and will be played as follows: teams A and B will play the first 12-minute-long game. Team C will play the winner of that game, and then they will play the remaining team directly after. If each team finishes 1-1, the tiebreaker will be point differential. A championship game will then be played.
Will This Boost Ratings?
GettyLast year’s All-Star game saw viewership drop a significant amount.
A USA vs. World format is something many people have been wanting to see for the All-Star game. Some of the best players in the NBA are from outside the USA. In fact, the NBA has not had a non-international player win MVP since James Harden in 2017/18. Joel Embiid played for Team USA at the Olympics, but he could have represented France, and he was born in Cameroon.
The new format should make for more competitive games. The 12-minute aspect of the games should keep viewers interested and glued to their TVs, as well. The NBA will need to take into consideration the thoughts of the players when it comes to stoppages in the game, though.
All in all, this game should hopefully see an increase in viewership from fans.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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