Kevin Durant slams new NBA All-Star Game format
Players React to NBA’s New All-Star Game Format
One player’s reaction to the NBA’s new format for the league’s annual All-Star Game was less than enthusiastic.
The NBA recently announced a new tournament format for the All-Star Game, which will feature four teams of eight players competing in a knockout-style competition. The winners of each first-to-forty semifinal will advance to a championship game.
These changes will take effect at the upcoming All-Star Game in February, to be held at Chase Center in San Francisco, California.
Three of the teams participating will be made up of the 24 All-Stars selected to play in the game, while the fourth team will consist of players who win the Rising Stars tournament – a competition featuring rookies, sophomores, and selected G-League players.
In addition to the new tournament format, the 2025 All-Star Game will also see a change in the team selection process. TNT analysts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith will each serve as general managers of one of the three All-Star teams, selecting their players in a draft format.
TNT analyst Candace Parker will serve as the GM of the team that wins the Rising Stars competition.
Despite the new format, fans will still have the opportunity to vote for the players they want to see in the All-Star Game, with voting set to begin on December 19.
The 2024 All-Star Game was a historic event, with the Eastern Conference surpassing the 200-point mark for the first time in NBA history and claiming victory over the Western Conference with a score of 211-186.
The 2025 All-Star Game is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 16, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET.
Despite some initial backlash from players like Kevin Durant, who expressed his dislike for the new format, the NBA is moving forward with these changes in hopes of creating a more exciting and competitive All-Star Game experience.
Only time will tell if these changes will be embraced by fans and players alike, but one thing is for certain – the upcoming All-Star Game promises to be a thrilling and unpredictable event.
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