The NBA is contemplating one other format change for this season’s All-Star Recreation, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. At a information convention previous to Saturday’s recreation in Mexico Metropolis, commissioner Adam Silver informed reporters that Warriors star Stephen Curry has been concerned in discussions concerning the Feb. 16 showcase in San Francisco.
“We’ve had direct conversations with Steph Curry — it’s a house recreation for him,” Silver mentioned. “I do know he’s very prideful and desires to guarantee that the gamers put their greatest foot ahead, so we’re taking a look at different codecs. I believe there’s little doubt that the gamers have been disenchanted as effectively in final 12 months’s All-Star Recreation. All of us wish to do a greater job offering competitors and leisure for our followers.”
Final season’s contest in Indianapolis was universally panned for its lack of protection and abundance of lengthy three-point pictures. The East defeated the West, 211-186, in a listless affair regardless of a plea from league govt Joe Dumars to take the sport significantly and put forth a greater effort.
Making a watchable All-Star Recreation has been a problem for the NBA for a number of years. In an effort to spark curiosity, the league switched its conventional East vs. West format in 2018 to have the highest two vote-getters draft the gamers for every group. The “Elam Ending” was adopted in 2020 to provide the sport a special really feel and guarantee extra thrilling finishes.
Nevertheless, not one of the adjustments actually resonated with the general public, and the league returned to the East-West matchup final season with common NBA guidelines.
“I believe all of us did what we thought we may, considering we’d significantly — in Indiana, kind of the heartland of basketball, one way or the other we’d give it the school attempt, and we’d see a extra aggressive recreation,” Silver mentioned. “I believe, even when we may flip the clock again and get a bit extra of a aggressive recreation, even when it was extra of an ordinary NBA recreation, I believe followers would need extra.”
The most effective-received a part of final season’s All-Star Weekend was a Saturday night time taking pictures contest between Curry and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu. Though it hasn’t been introduced, Silver mentioned they’ll have a rematch in San Francisco.
“If we are able to get extra participation, not only for the bodily exercise however for all of the values it represents,” that’s what the NBA needs, Silver mentioned. “And I believe showcasing these sorts of actions the place you see women and men each competing in basketball at All-Star occasions ought to more and more grow to be a giant a part of it. And by the way while you have a look at the curiosity by way of viewership final 12 months, one of many highlights was that Sabrina-Steph shootout, so we do wish to do extra of that.”
Silver additionally touched on the problem of growth, saying the league continues to check the matter however nothing needs to be thought-about imminent, in response to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Seattle and Las Vegas are extensively considered because the front-runners for brand spanking new groups, however Silver mentioned Mexico Metropolis is among the many places which are into consideration.
“Nothing’s been set, and we haven’t even decided whether or not to increase but,” he added. “My sense is that if we expanded, we’d do a fair quantity, as a result of then we would must do some changes within the conferences. However I believe it is smart to have two conferences of 16 groups if we have been to do it. There have been occasions prior to now within the NBA after we had an odd quantity, so it’s doable. However I believe we almost definitely, if we have been to increase, would look to increase to 2 cities.”
