The NBA All-Star Game has had a disastrous few years, to say the least. The All-Star Game is supposed to represent the best that the NBA has to offer the sporting world, all in one place, playing on the same court. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been forced to rethink the format of the All-Star Game on multiple occasions as the game has been receiving some heavy criticism over the past few years. The culmination of those problems came to the surface in this year’s disastrous All-Star game that disappointed the fans and pundits alike.
What is the history of the NBA All-Star Game over the years?
The fans of the NBA have been left feeling disappointed with the All-Star game in recent years. In the golden age of Kobe Bryant, the NBA All-Star game was the best and only opportunity for the fans and TV pundits to see the best players in the league sharing the court in an extravaganza of basketball. The event showed the world what the absolute best basketball players were capable of.
The All-Star game began back in 1952, the roster was selected by a variety of fans, TV personalities, and coaches. The three-day event used to consist of a dunk contest, a three-point shootout, and an All-Star game for the fans’ enjoyment. From there, it evolved to a variety of unique games and events that tested everything from dunking to passing ability.
However, in recent years, the event has lost its popularity, and the NBA has noticed this decline. Adam Silver and his associates were forced to reconsider the format entirely and test out a few, let’s say, unique ideas. This year’s event was a fiasco as the format changed once again to try to entice the fans back. Despite the NBA’s best efforts, it was worse than ever before.
What are Adam Silver and the NBA’s plans for the All-Star Game?
Adam Silver is no stranger to dealing with questions from the media. He makes a conscious effort to engage with the fans and media that cover the sport. He has recently been making the rounds on some podcasts and TV shows about basketball. And the NBA has thought about the All-Star Game and how it might be made better, taking its inspiration from another sport, ice hockey.
Silver revealed on the FS1’s “Breakfast Ball” show that the NBA plans to change the format to include a game between the US team and a “Rest of the World” team, taking inspiration from the NHL, which did the same and saw record broadcasting numbers as a result. The NBA has big plans to increase the reach of the sport all over the world, and including an international team of players could do the trick.
Silver stated the following about the restructuring of the All-Star game:
“What better time to feature some form of USA against the World? I’m not exactly sure what the format will be yet. I paid a lot of attention to what the NHL did, which was a huge success.”
Can the NBA finally get the format for the All-Star Game right?
As the season winds down, the NBA is considering all the possible ways to increase its standing in the sporting world. The All-Star Game has fallen on hard times, and if it wasn’t for a certain Mac McClung putting on a show in the dunk contest, the event would have been a complete failure. The Finals are promising to bring the hardcore fans back to the NBA, but more needs to be done in order to restore the All-Star Game as the pinnacle of the sport of basketball and something that young players aspire towards.
