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It was not too long ago that the best around the league took NBA All-Star Weekend seriously. Giannis Antetokounmpo brought a competitive edge to the 2021 All-Star Game when he scored 35 points and set the record for most shots without missing. In the 2000s era, every NBA All-Star Game meant something to those guys. And, of course, how could we fail to mention Vince Carter's iconic dunk contests?
What happened to All-Star Weekend actually meaning something to stars across the NBA? The bottom line is they don't care.
We don't see big names in the Dunk Contest anymore out of fear of getting injured. The best three-point shooters don't want to partake in the 3-Point Contest because they are afraid that it will mess up their shot, much like how MLB players complain about the Home Run Derby altering their swing. As far as the All-Star Game itself goes, the players won't give it their all because they don't want it.
Adam Silver and the NBA tried doing an All-Star Draft to create a sense of competitiveness. Nothing changed. There was then a target score to try and add some juice to the event. Nothing changed. No matter what the league has tried to do, there hasn't been a positive response from the players in terms of increasing their competitiveness level out of fear of getting injured and the idea that they want to save their energy for the rest of the season.
The only thing that matters to NBA superstars is rings and their legacy, which doesn't really factor in the NBA All-Star Game anymore. As unfortunate as that sounds, that is the reality we live in.
There won't be another Vince Carter-like performance in the Dunk Contest because no star is willing to step up and challenge this mantle. There won't be another All-Star Game like there was in 1988, with Michael Jordan scoring 16 of his 40 total points in the last few minutes to lead the East All-Stars to a 138-133 thrilling victory over the West All-Stars.
At times, there will be moments of glory and competitiveness, like we saw with Victor Wembanyama in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. Wemby may be the only hope for the future generation to make this event more competitive, as the older generation of superstars is there to collect their checks and get back to contending for a championship with their actual teams.
The NBA All-Star Game used to mean something, but now it's all about advertising revenue and media rights. This new format of having four teams, one of which is the winner of the Rising Stars, didn't sit well with a lot of fans and players.
We can still have the Rising Stars event as a whole, but those guys have no right playing on the same court as the league's All-Stars. If this new format is to stay, then there needs to be some changes because you can't have rookies and second-year players going up against the league's best thinking this is what people want to see.
While the format itself of having four teams in a tournament-style spectacle could work with some minor tweaks, like increasing the score and cutting down on all the extra time spent on things outside of the game itself, many players and league personnel alike aren't thrilled with this new change.
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said on Sunday that he thought the format “was cool,” yet the constant downtime and sitting on the bench for more than 20 minutes at a time was tough. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also made similar remarks, as the Oklahoma City Thunder MVP favorite said the league needs to make the event more “interesting” by cutting out these elongated breaks.
Perhaps the most vocal player who chastised the league for what happened during All-Star Weekend was Golden State Warriors four-time champion Draymond Green, who took exception to everything that All-Star Sunday now stands for with this new format.
“You work all year to be an All-Star, and you get to play up to 40, and then you're done,” Green said on TNT's broadcast of the All-Star Game. “We get the ‘treat' of watching the Olympic team play a U19 team. Come on, what are we doing? This is ridiculous.”
When he was asked how he would rate the new format on a scale of 1-10, Green responded abruptly, “Zero. It sucks. This ain't basketball.”
Regardless of whether you enjoyed the new All-Star format or not, the most puzzling stat of the night is regarding the amount of downtime there was. The players were on the court and actually playing for roughly 35 minutes. Throughout the All-Star Game coverage, there were close to two-and-a-half hours of commercials and breaks, which is exactly what Tatum, Gilgeous-Alexander, and other stars have complained about.
There may not be a way to truly fix the NBA All-Star Game and all of the festivities that happen during All-Star Weekend. With this said, there are several changes the NBA could seriously look into as a way to try and give even more incentive to bring back a sense of competitiveness and enjoyment.
Option 1: All-Star Game influences max contracts
One of the main criteria for being eligible to receive a supermax contract in the NBA revolves around end-of-season honors.
Winning the MVP award, Defensive Player of the Year award, or being named as one of the 15 All-NBA players makes players eligible for supermax contracts. The funny thing about this is that the media, of all people, are the ones who decide which players are ultimately eligible for the largest contracts.
There is no such thing as biased media members in the NBA, right? I mean, it's not like we talk and hold relationships with certain players, teams, agents, etc. This is sarcasm for those of you who just saw the joke fly right past your head.
More than half of the media voters who submit ballots for end-of-season honors and awards are biased, and they will only vote for players they have relationships with. The other half simply doesn't watch games outside of their market and doesn't even know who some of the league's best play for.
These are the people who are supposed to decide who ends up with the best contracts in the league?
Money is the greatest motivating factor in the world. Instead of giving players money for competing in and winning the All-Star Game, why not incentivize them for years to come by having this showcase impact their contracts?
The media can still decide end-of-season awards like MVP and whatnot, but have the winners of the All-Star Game every year be those who become eligible for supermax contracts. That is what makes a four-team format in the All-Star Game work, as these teams with seven or eight players each would be highly motivated to try and become supermax-eligible.
Does this solve all of the problems that exist right now? No, but at least something is now on the line for each player who is named an All-Star, as these are the best of the best wanting max contracts anyway.
Option 2: All-Star rosters expand; only participants in events
Mac McClung has been excellent over the last three years in the Dunk Contest. If it wasn't for him, there probably wouldn't even be a Dunk Contest anymore.
With this said, what did Matas Buzelis and Andre Jackson Jr. contribute to this event other than missing time and time again? In 2024, Jacob Toppin participated in the event, and nobody really even knew who he was other than Obi Toppin's brother.
In this year's 3-Point Contest, Cam Johnson only made 11 shots for 14 total points. Cade Cunningham was an All-Star this year and deservingly so, but he has shot just 35 percent from three-point range this season and was in the event. Outside of Buddy Hield, Tyler Herro, and Darius Garland, it didn't seem like those participating in this event really cared much.
The bottom line is that All-Star Weekend is about the All-Stars themselves, so why are there players in the Dunk Contest and 3-Point Contest who shouldn't even be there? Sorry Mac McClung, but fans would've rather seen Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Edwards, and other All-Stars compete in the Dunk Contest this year.
Better yet, if we expanded the rosters from 24 to 30, we would have the ability to add even more talent for the entire weekend. Plus, doing so would eliminate needing the winning team from the Rising Stars to fill that fourth team slot for the All-Star Game itself in the new format.
Out of everything, we need the rosters to expand. This has been something fans and players have been asking for nonstop, yet the league refuses to do so for some reason. Add more players and force them to partake in All-Star Saturday night.
Problem solved.
Option 3: New 1 vs. 1 tournament
The idea of introducing a one-on-one tournament to All-Star Weekend is something the NBA has discussed countless times throughout the years. With women's basketball players recently starting their Unrivaled league with a one-on-one tournament, there has been more of a demand for this format entering NBA All-Star Weekend.
Well, it seems like this type of format could be making its way to the NBA soon, as a $1 million prize has been discussed for a one-on-one event at NBA All-Star Weekend, according to Front Office Sports.
How this would work is unknown, but who wouldn't want to see the league's best go head-to-head and see who is truly the best isolation player in the league?
Although some players would buy into this idea, others wouldn't be so keen on it. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if this idea was met with a 50-50 response from players. Many wouldn't want to put their legacy on the line in such an event, while others would definitely embrace it.
Rachel Nichols asked Giannis about the idea of the NBA incorporating a one-on-one tournament into All-Star Weekend, and the Milwaukee Bucks superstar was all about the idea.
“Yeah, for sure,” Antetokounmpo said. “If I had the chance to play one-on-one with anybody, I'd love to do it. Anything that can make the weekend more exciting, more fun, for the viewers and for the fans and for the players, I would love to participate.”
If Giannis wants such a change and he can get other commanding voices like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James to co-sign this notion, serious momentum will begin to form for having every All-Star play in this tournament.
Do not be shocked if this is the next format change coming to NBA All-Star Weekend.
Option 4: Traditional East vs. West format with NBA Finals twist
There was nothing wrong with the traditional East versus West format that everyone associates with the NBA All-Star Game.
While the All-Star Draft was fun at times and mixing up the teams offers the possibility of seeing unique combinations we never get to see, this should always be an East versus West format. It just means more representing your conference than a random team.
The main reason why the NBA went away from the East-West format is due to the lack of competitiveness in the 2024 All-Star Game, which saw a final score of 211-186 in what turned into a pickup game with the players shooting half-court shots.
So, why not add a lot of incentive to the event with an NBA Finals twist?
The winning team, whether it be the Eastern Conference or Western Conference, winds up earning home-court advantage for the NBA Finals, similar to how the MLB used their All-Star Game for years to dictate who would get home-field advantage in the World Series.
While this isn't the best solution and would certainly cause many to question why records in the regular season even matter, it is a path to creating a higher level of intensity and competitiveness in the All-Star Game.
Option 5: Team USA vs. Team World
Out of all the scenarios we face for possible NBA All-Star changes, the idea of having Team USA go up against Team World makes the most sense.
We all saw what happened with Curry, Durant, and James taking the court this past summer to lead the Americans to a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. The NBA took note of this, which is why they continue to talk about the Olympic team with these three legends leading the way. Many were even calling Team Shaq the USA Olympic team at this All-Star Weekend.
No matter what, when “USA” is being worn across these players' chests, they care a little bit more because playing for your country means something. For the international players, attempting to take down Team USA would absolutely create more incentive and competitiveness.
Basically, we would be looking at a Ryder Cup format for the NBA, where American-born players go up against international players. The only problem here is if injuries prevent players like Giannis and Nikola Jokic from playing in this event, leading to a possible shortage of options for the international team.
Nonetheless, the NHL and hockey as a whole have seen a ton of success with their 4 Nations Face-Off, and the fans are all about it. If the NBA could replicate that and incorporate it into All-Star Weekend in some capacity, everything else would fix itself.
