The NBA knows what it wants as the vibe for this new All-Star Game format — fast-paced, pickup-style hoops.
Whether we get that or not — whether the players care or not, whether they play even a little defense — we will find out in February, but more details are coming out about the NBA’s plans.
What we know is this: The League will split the 24 All-Stars (12 from each conference) into three teams of eight, with the winning team from Friday night’s rookie/sophomore Rising Stars game serving as the fourth team. Shams Charania of ESPN added more reporting on this:
The NBA’s new four-team tournament-style format for the 2025 All-Star Game is expected to have two semifinal games played up to 40 points, with the winners advancing to the final match up to 25 points, sources told ESPN. The first-of-its-kind event is expected to serve as a quick-burst competition that resembles pickup games where the winner moves to the championship round in single-elimination play.
The NBA had to do something, the All-Star Game itself has become unwatchable in recent years as players — not wanting to risk injury and with no meaningful stakes in the game — went through the motions but played no defense. It was a festival of wide-open 3-pointers and dunks.
The new format may change that vibe. It may not. If this has a genuine pickup game vibe that would be fun (unfortunately, there is no way they will let the players call their own fouls). But the league had to do something — a weekend celebration of basketball has ended with a thud too many years in a row. Maybe this shakes things up.
