In an interview with CNN, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked comments about the NBA All-Star Game, and how it can be fixed. Silver acknowledged that the whole event needs some tweaking, even admitting there may be no way to make it a competitive game again.
This year’s game was the highest scoring ever, as the East team surged over 200 points in the contest, which had low energy – even by All-Star standards. Silver looked and sounded a bit disappointed following the game.
Apparently Silver and others had been urging the players to buy in and take the game more seriously, a suggestion which was clearly not taken to heart based on the play on the court.
But perhaps the most interesting nugget from the interview with Silver, was him mentioning that they would consider a USA vs. World format. This is something that has been talked about for years in NBA circles and has gained traction recently.
“We’re going to look at USA vs International. I just think maybe we’re past that point where we’re going to play a truly competitive game.”
– Adam Silver on the All-Star game
(h/t @BasketballOnX )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 23, 2024
The top four candidates for the NBA MVP award are all currently international players, with the Nuggets’ Serbian sensation, Nikola Jokic obviously leading the charge. This format would certainly add intrigue to the event, and perhaps add more intrinsic motivation for the players.
Creating a sort of rivalry like this could be fun for fans and players alike. But it could also create some potential issues. For one, while the international team has great high-end talent, there’s no guarantee that this will continue in future years.
We could end up with some extremely lopsided matchups going forward. Plus, while there is a lot of high-end talent, the drop-off is pretty notable. It would probably mean adding a lot of fringe international players who otherwise wouldn’t make the All-Star game.
The converse impact would mean several deserving American players being excluded from the game simply to make the rosters work. So as much fun as this hypothetical matchup would be, I’m not sure how practical it is.
Still, I’m glad that Silver is acknowledging this, and seems committed to making All-Star weekend better. At the end of the day, it’s all about entertainment, and the game has been lacking recently in that department.