SAN FRANCISCO — The NBA’s latest redesign of the All-Star Game might be even more desperate than a Nikola Jokic full-court heave.
But Jokic keeps trying it anyway because someday, one might go in.
Commissioner Adam Silver and the league have spent years crusading for revitalized effort and entertainment value at All-Star weekend. The 2025 format is their most radical vision yet. On Sunday (6 p.m. MT) at Chase Center, 32 players will compete in a four-team tournament of pickup games, replacing the usual East vs. West snoozefest.
Game clocks are nonexistent. Each game is first to 40 points. The 24 All-Stars have already been divided into three teams. They’ll be joined by a fourth squad of “rising stars” trying to play spoiler.
Reactions have run the gamut. Future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant was unflinching in his scrutiny of the concept. “I hate it,” he said. “Absolutely hate it.”
Jokic, as usual, was too indifferent to share or oppose Durant’s passionate opinion.
“I don’t know the format,” he said a couple weeks ago. “I didn’t pay attention, to be honest.”
Other stars have weighed in throughout the season. Anthony Davis added to the chorus of criticism, while 21-time All-Star LeBron James threw Silver and the NBA braintrust a bone by expressing sympathy. “Something had to change,” he said.
Something had to change. After Michael Malone coached in the 2023 event — which was characterized by a gimmicky draft — he called it “the worst basketball game ever played.” Then the league reverted to an East vs. West format in 2024, and the players outdid themselves in a 211-186 bore.
When the All-Star Game is an actual game, everyone involved is counting down the minutes until it’s over. Defense is optional, lopsided scores are inevitable, and the entire affair is treated like the last day of school. It’s a celebration of the accolade operating under the guise of work.
Eliminating that countdown and shortening the game(s) might yield marginal improvement. The days of playing hard in this event are clearly long gone, but when the score of a goofy pickup run is suddenly 36-35 after eight minutes, I have a hard time imagining that nobody on the court will feel a competitive urge in their gut to get a defensive stop.
In other words: This tournament might be bad, but surely it can’t be worse than the last two years.
Themed rosters add a fascinating layer as well, inching toward an All-Star solution that I think the NBA should more fully embrace in the future. Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith “drafted” the three All-Star teams live on TNT in one of the most shamelessly rigged proceedings I’ve ever seen. Somehow, the top three MVP candidates, as well as the most popular young superstar in the league, went to Barkley. What do Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama all have in common? International birthplaces, of course.
Here are the full rosters for Sunday night, altered due to injury-excused absences and now complete with official team names.
Chuck’s Global Stars: Nikola Jokic (DEN), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK), Victor Wembanyama (SAS), Pascal Siakam (IND), Alperen Sengun (HOU), Donovan Mitchell (CLE), Trae Young (ATL).
Shaq’s OGs: LeBron James (LAL), Kevin Durant (PHX), Steph Curry (GSW), James Harden (LAC), Kyrie Irving (DAL), Damian Lillard (MIL), Jayson Tatum (BOS), Jaylen Brown (BOS).
Kenny’s Young Stars: Anthony Edwards (MIN), Jalen Brunson (NYK), Cade Cunningham (DET), Darius Garland (CLE), Tyler Herro (MIA), Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM), Evan Mobley (CLE), Jalen Williams (OKC).
Honestly, the setup is fun. My only nitpick is that if the NBA is going to tell the “general managers” which players to pick in advance, simply dispense with the illusion of a draft and commit to an All-Star Game pitting the best international players against the best of the U.S.
Remember the Paris Olympics last year? Remember how earnestly the players relished the competition? Remember how the tournament captured the attention of basketball fans and media?
I’m not saying NBA All-Star weekend needs to recapture the passion of the Olympics. I’m not naive. But I’ve been endlessly fascinated by Team USA’s decreasing margin for error against the rest of the world, and I’ve often wondered how a game would play out if the rest of the world formed a united front to challenge the top American superstars.
If we’re already indulging in gimmicks, why not try one that seems more likely to intrigue consumers and inspire competitive pride?
In the meantime, let’s tip our caps to the NBA for thinking outside the box this year. Even if Sunday’s new structure fails, it was worth a shot.
Jokic takes the game as unseriously as any of his peers. He was the class clown last year in Indianapolis, pouring water down Luka Doncic’s back and trying to stealth-posterize Steph Curry while warming up. “I think it’s cool to be there around the guys,” he said recently, a sentiment that he has increasingly embraced throughout his seven career appearances.
But as for the competition itself? Jokic was still behind on his homework when he was asked about the format again this Wednesday. The roster made up of international players was news to him.
“I just know it’s four teams,” he said, shrugging.
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