Adam Silver felt he had to do something. For years, All-Star players – guys like Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Devin Booker – did their best to avoid injuries more than anything else, which turned the NBA All-Star Game into a Unforgettable defenseless exposure. Last season the league went retro, reverted to East versus West and the final score was 211-186.
This year, the NBA has shaken up the Sunday game: the 24 All-Star players will be divided into three teams of eight and they, plus the winning team of the rookie/sophomore Rising Stars match, will play in a four-team tournament with games at 40.
Durant, Davis and Booker all rejected the idea. Durant didn’t do anything, he hates the new format.
I asked Kevin Durant what he thought of the new NBA All-Star Game format: “I hate it. I absolutely hate it. Terrible… We should just go back to East-West. pic.twitter.com/T7owR5aJY7
– Gérald 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’ve been trying to bring that rocket back somehow with All-Star Weekend, I think we’re just keeping the tradition. We’ll see how this one works out. I could be wrong. , I’m just another guy with a opinion, but. we’ll see how it works.
Hey Kevin, once again the league tried the East vs. West thing last year and the players showed they had no desire to make it competitive. So the NBA has been trying to find a new format that could force some competition, and while I’m skeptical it works, it’s better than doing something that we know – and saw a year ago an – does not 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 Wednesday’s practice. “I’m more nostalgic. I agree with Kev. I like East versus West with your own team jersey. I like old jerseys. It’s whatever.”
Anthony Davis of the Lakers, not a fan either.
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 that or not.
– Mélissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) December 18, 2024
The new format calls for 24 All-Stars – the same number as previous years, with the 10 starters voted on by fans/players/media and the remaining 14 selected by coaches. These 24 will be divided into three teams of eight, with a member of the Inside the NBA Crew (Shaq, Charles Barkley or Kenny Smith) serving as the general manager who selects the teams. These three teams, along with the winning team from Friday night’s Rising Stars game, are placed in a four-team single-elimination tournament bracket. Teams will play matches up to 40, and the winners of the first two matches will meet in a championship match.
Given the way they’ve played this season, Durant, Booker and Davis should easily all be in San Francisco for the All-Star Game. We’ll see what they think of the new format after playing it.
