After the Los Angeles Lakers‘ shootaround Thursday in Sacramento, LeBron James approved changes to the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, telling reporters that “something had to change.”
The NBA officially announced a change in the mid-season showcase format, go with a tournament style format featuring four teams consisting of eight players each.
One of the teams will be the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge, made up of first and second year stars or G League Standouts. The other three teams will be more traditional All-Star teams, each drafted by TNT’s Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
LeBron James, when asked about changes to the NBA All-Star Game format, discussed other issues with the league: “Our game, there’s a lot of fucking 3s that get shot. So it’s a bigger conversation than just the All-Star Game. » pic.twitter.com/weKJVSyXfB
– Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 19, 2024
“We’ll see, we’ll see when we get there. It’s different,” James said. “Obviously, any time you make a change, it’s going to make you money. I don’t know. I mean, I have my ideas about what could possibly work.”
When asked what those thoughts were, James chose not to reveal those thoughts — at least on a random NBA Thursday in Sacramento.
“You have to do something,” he added. “Obviously the last two years haven’t been a great All-Star Game this Sunday night.”
Last season’s All-Star Game was universally criticized for a result 211-186 which was not very competitive and featured little defense.
Although James’ support was not enthusiastic, it was more than what Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant offered after the announcement of the new All-Star 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,” Durant said. “I absolutely hate it. It’s terrible. All-Star game formats are changing – all formats are terrible in my opinion. We should just go back to East-West, just play a game.”
Still, according to James, the issues surrounding the All-Star Game are a microcosm of the problems the NBA is currently facing.
“It’s not just the All-Star Game. It’s our game in general,” James added. “There’s a lot of fucking 3s that are being shot. So it’s a bigger conversation than just the All-Star Game.”
The increasing number of 3-point shots made each night by NBA teams is a frequent topic among those who say the quality of play has declined — and has brought with it a decline in the league’s television ratings.
Teams are averaging more than 30 3-pointers per game, led by the reigning NBA champion. Boston Celtics hoist 51.1 attempts per night. Thirteen clubs are in the running to shoot more 3s than ever before. However, this strategy has its advantages, according to Associated Press.
“So far this season, the team that makes the most 3-pointers in a game wins 53% of the time. The team that makes the most 3-pointers wins 67% of the time. If a team makes five 3s more than his opponent, he wins 75% of the time And if a team makes 10 more 3s than its opponent, the game is over: these clubs, after the Celtics did it in the. Heat Monday, we are now 31-0 on the season.”
Whether it’s style of play or another issue like player load management, NBA broadcasts attract 19% fewer viewers than ABC, ESPN and TNT. Sports Media Watch reports. Commissioner Adam Silver points to the number of fans now watching via streaming. And many sports – other than the heavyweight NFL – are seeing viewership declines.
If James has any ideas to offer, Silver may want to consult him about it and see if any of his suggestions are helpful.
