This season’s All-Star Game will have a U.S. vs. World format, the NBA confirmed today in a press release. The game is scheduled to be played Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. ET at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
Two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (the World team) will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games. The three teams will each have a minimum of eight players.
The NBA has experimented with an number of different formats to make the All-Star Game more entertaining and encourage players to take the game more seriously. This is the latest attempt by the league and Player’s Association to make that happen.
As in the past, 24 NBA All-Stars (12 from each conference) will be selected as follows: The five starters from each conference will be selected by fans (50% of the vote), current NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%). The seven reserve players from each conference will be chosen by NBA head coaches.
This year, the All-Stars will be selected without regard to position. The process for assigning players to the two U.S. teams will be determined at a later date.
According to the release, if All-Star voting does not result in the selection of 16 U.S. players and eight international players (which can include American players with ties to other countries, if necessary), commissioner Adam Silver will select additional All-Stars to join either group to reach that minimum.
In the round-robin tournament, Team A will play Team B in Game 1. The winning team from Game 1 will take on Team C in Game 2, followed by the losing team of Game 1 meeting Team C in Game 3.
After Game 3, the top two teams by record will advance to face each other in the championship game (Game 4). If all three teams have a 1-1 record after Game 3, the tiebreaker would be point differential in each team’s two round-robin games.
The All-Star Game will be played earlier in the day than usual because it will be broadcast by NBC, which is building All-Star Weekend around the network’s coverage of the Winter Olympic Games, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps points out.
I really hate to be that guy but we’ve talked about this for years.
Do you know what would make the players play harder in a meaningless game half way through the season?
MONEY
No it won’t. When LeBron and them retire and the young guys are fighting for best player in the league the pride will come back. This last generation of players who want to sit need to move on so we can get fresh blood.
to guys who make $40M/yr..? Doubt it.
Just have a US vs World game. That’s it. Pride will drive the competition bc neither will want to lose. And don’t limit it to 12 on each side.. 14 or 15 is better.
And have an undercard of future stars – rookies vs 2nd yr players.
And stop the gimmicks.
Would the US stand a chance with Luka, Jokic, Giannis, Wemby and SGA on one side.
But I agree that in that scenario likely Luka and Jokic will take it seriously too!
Yeah ….. just give the ball to whoever Luka is trying to GUARD …🙃😃😂
You mean the players making tens of millions a year who still have a bunch of rest games? It’s not money or anything else that is the issue. Players in the past making less than what the minimum is now played harder. The 4 Nations tournament in the NHL, a much more physical sport, showed modern professional athletes have no issue playing hard when they care. And finally, the money they make now part of it factors in the TV money the league gets from selling Allstar weekend. Do you think when they sold the rights they charged the same that they charge for regular season games?
Pride and love of the game should be enough for any all star to play. The fans deserve that. We know it’s not the FINALS. But you always play to win. And you play the ones that want to win. It’s ONE Fnng game. Fans helped get you those max deals. You can show respect for that. By trying to win one game.
That’s respect for the game …..
Respect for the fans …….
Respect for yourself ……
3 teams?
This isn’t going to work.
um… a 3 team tournament is insanely stupid … especially done in 2 days… a 4 team… american, european, global, and under 25 team would have been a lot more entertaining
Add a 4th team consisting of recently retired players
I’d say a 25 and under team… up and comers vs. vets
Fire Silver
It’s sad that Silver actually believes that this will change anything. The league’s modern ethic isn’t consistent with an exhibition game that matters. Just end it.
This is the only solution that might actually get the players to care. If they cancelled the games then the league would have to refund the tv partners the money they charge for Allstar weekend. When the players realize they have to even give a small fraction of their money back they will suddenly care.
I’ve try but seems very weird how it’s 3 teams which is an odd number. The whole American with international ties is just woke nonsense amd the fact Adam silver will just pick players if they don’t have enough like what a joke hahaha
i still have no desire to watch this new format
So what happens when it is 16 international all stars?
12 would be enough to have to rebrand one of the teams…
Just stop having this stupid meaningless unwatchable game.
All sports games are meaningless. If you find meaning in them I’m very sorry.
I’m a huge hoops fan, I’ll watch Euroleague, the NBL in Australia….I haven’t seen an all star game in like 20 years.
US won’t stand a chance…SGA, Jokic, Giannis, Wemby cooks any team US can throw out there…
NHL set the gold standard last year and now Adam Silver is chasing.. silver. Waking up in a suite with his billionaire banking buddies, you would think they would have an original idea.
This is another garbage idea. Players can either take the ASG seriously, or just cancel it.
I am glad I realized as long time ago the All Star isn’t for the diehard fan. It is for the casuals and the wealthy to rub shoulders at fancy events.
I just view that weekend as a time for something else. But alas the most undiagnosed addiction continues unabated.
So, Jokic, Luka, Giannis, SGA and Wemby on the same team, lol! The only reason the American teams will have a chance cause Jokic and Luka will mess around.
However, to show how good the international players are maybe they will take it seriously too
Who’s Luka going to guard ????
For the cup games they’re paying players $500K a piece their two way players half of that a piece. Coaching staff gets paid too.
Pay the winning team and the coaches $1 million a piece. Even the players, like Luka and Jokic, who could care less about ASG or even the $1M, will feel bad about goofing around and depriving the other players and coaches from getting their money.
Although, an American team against Luka, Jokic, Giannis, Wemby and SGA will not have a choice, if everyone is motivated to win!
Not sure about this new format. I like the idea of
US vs the World. But figuring that out is tricky. Out of 24 players. Will eight foreign players be selected. And what if 12 foreign players are selected.
A better process is you select 12 players. That play for foreign teams for world qualifiers. Then you select 12 American players. And have a true USA vs the World game. Or just keep it the same.
And use a G-league team of American players. And get a true Euro ball all star team from Europe. And have them play.