There’s no doubt that Bill Simmons is invested in the NBA’s success. However, his proposal for revitalizing the league’s All-Star Game faced criticism during a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast. In this episode, Simmons and guest Van Lathan discussed the disappointing state of this year’s All-Star festivities in San Francisco. While Lathan seemed to think the event was beyond repair, Simmons attempted to present a solution.
Simmons suggests splitting the NBA All-Star Game into two distinct events over the weekend—one on Saturday and another on Sunday. The Dunk Contest and Three-Point Contest would serve as pregame entertainment each night. The innovative twist? Only players from the top five teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences would compete in the Sunday game, vying for home court advantage in the NBA Finals, while the remaining All-Stars would face off against the Rising Stars on Saturday.
Additional elements of Simmons’ proposal include adopting FIBA rules, limiting rosters to eight players with one “commissioner’s pick” from a non-top-five team for each Sunday squad, $250,000 payouts, and players who opt out of the game—like LeBron James—being barred from participating the following year. The main aim of Simmons’ plan is to transform Sunday’s game into a competitive showdown with actual stakes, rather than just an exhibition.
“Let’s put real pressure on these dudes,” the ex-ESPN columnist remarked. “It’s like, this is an honor and a privilege to be in this game.”
How can the NBA fix All-Star Weekend?@BillSimmons outlines his idea. pic.twitter.com/RJxkX9yQVz
— The Ringer (@ringer) February 18, 2025
Give Simmons credit for putting significant thought into his proposal; it’s clear he cares about the All-Star Game. Rather than dismissing the event as irreparable—an understandable position at this point—he is actively seeking solutions. However, the feasibility of his ideas remains debatable.
There are potential logistical challenges associated with roster selections based on standings, raising questions about deadlines for roster finalization. Moreover, one must ponder how much homecourt advantage in the NBA Finals would genuinely motivate the players. The league already struggles to engage players in the regular season; would a one-game exhibition resonate enough to spark interest among top players?
Interestingly, Major League Baseball offered homefield advantage in the World Series as a reward for its All-Star Game from 2003 to 2016. Yet, this did not enhance the competitiveness of those games compared to others. The rule was ultimately discarded because it seemed absurd for an exhibition to influence championship outcomes.
While Simmons aims to address these concerns by involving only players from competitive teams, he may be overly optimistic in believing they would prioritize securing homecourt advantage as he would. The fundamental question remains: what factors would genuinely compel players to invest in the All-Star Game? Currently, there is no clear answer, and it’s possible no such solution exists.
