This year’s NBA All-Star Game introduced a new format but once again faced criticism and fan disinterest similar to previous events. In contrast, the NHL generated excitement and attracted significant viewership with its 4 Nations games. It’s no surprise, then, that NBA commissioner Adam Silver mentioned on Thursday that the league is contemplating a national team format for the All-Star Game.
“Of course we took note of the great success the NHL had with their national team competition as part of their All-Star festivities,” Silver stated (via Sports Business Journal). He suggested that “maybe … there are some different national teams that can compete.” A record-breaking 9.3 million viewers tuned in on ESPN for the 4 Nations championship game between the USA and Canada, while the NBA ASG attracted only 4.7 million viewers.
However, the motivation for change goes beyond wanting to replicate the NHL’s success. Next year, the NBA All-Star Game will air on NBC for the first time since 2002, coinciding with NBC’s coverage of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Silver acknowledged that the timing makes a national competition sensible, stating, “It happens to be that next year when our All-Star Game will be on NBC, we’re going to fall right in the middle of the Winter Olympics — that they will be both the lead-in into the All-Star Game and the lead-out will be out on the West Coast in Los Angeles.”
Imagining a Team USA in the NBA ASG is intriguing, especially if they faced a European team featuring stars like Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić. Regardless of the eventual format chosen, it would certainly be an improvement over this year’s tournament, which Silver described as “a miss” that necessitated a return to the drawing board. “We sell competition, and I think our players recognize they’re not putting their best foot forward when there’s a sense that not all is in on playing an All-Star Game,” he noted (via SBJ). He took responsibility, admitting that the recalibration of this year’s All-Star Game in San Francisco leaned too heavily into entertainment rather than competition.
“The breaks were too long. I get it; it was an opportunity to celebrate TNT as they were going to have their last All-Star Game. It was well-intentioned, but the long stoppage in play, especially in that final game, didn’t work for anyone.” Notably, the NBA has previously proposed a national All-Star Game format, but it never materialized. Now, the success of the 4 Nations seems to be inspiring Silver and the league to finally make this concept a reality.
