NBA Commissioner Adam Silver seems to have given up on the idea of putting together a competitive All-Star contest. He conceded to CNN's Gayle King and Charles Barkley that the game itself may be beyond saving, per Basketball On X. He also mentioned that the three point shootout between Golden State Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry and New York Liberty All-Star point guard Sabrina Ionescu proved intriguingly popular, and noted that the league may explore further one-off showdowns of that nature in the future.
Adam Silver Admits All Star Game Could Disappear
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BasketballOnX) March 23, 2024
"We're going to look at USA vs International. I just think maybe we're past that point where we're going to play a truly competitive game."
[via @CNN ] pic.twitter.com/aV01XJOFTD
"I think particularly the young players, they see it as, again, a midseason break, an opportunity to have fun, an opportunity to take a break from a very long season," Silver said. "There's always an entertainment aspect to our league... and I think when I saw the popularity of Steph vs. Sabrina... we should just be looking to do different things... We're going to look at U.S. vs. international. I just think maybe we are past that point where we are going to play a truly competitive game."
Elsewhere in their conversation, Silver made a point to praise the All-Star festivities last month, despite the lackluster affair being widely criticized by many pundits. The 2024 All-Star Game itself proved to be a defense-free layup line, while the Slam Dunk Contest and Skills Challenge were also particularly underwhelming. It's clear a change is needed, and it's exciting Silver thinks so, too. In the All-Star Game's 1990s heyday, the contest doubled as a ferocious competition, an opportunity for the league's best players to test their mettle against one another.
Silver observed that All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis proved to be "a great weekend, but it was not a basketball game." Silver appears to be open to further drastic adjustments. "I think maybe as opposed to trying to create a super competitive basketball game, which I am not sure the teams or the players really want, we should do different things and make it a celebration of basketball."
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