[Saba Sports News] Adam Silver may be revisiting a classic approach. The NBA commissioner, Silver, made an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” on Wednesday. During the interview, he mentioned that the league is contemplating a significant change to the annual All-Star Game.
He suggested that the format might return to the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference matchup, eliminating the player draft held during All-Star Weekend.
Silver stated, “I think we’ve lost sight a bit that it’s about the game at the end of the day. Maybe [we will do] a return to something more traditional in terms of how the teams are presented. We went to this captain-draft notion, but historically, it was East vs. West. That is something we are looking at.”
The All-Star draft has provided entertainment for fans and generated memorable (sometimes awkward) moments since its implementation just five years ago in 2018. However, from the inception of the NBA All-Star Game in 1951 through the next several decades, the format had always been East vs. West. Many of the greatest moments in NBA All-Star history, from Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas as reluctant teammates in the 1980s to the Detroit Pistons joining forces in the 2000s, have emerged from the East-West format.
While the NBA All-Star Game’s entertainment value has seemingly declined over the years (with even some players expressing dissatisfaction), a return to the East-West format might not suddenly change player engagement or defensive effort but could be a step in revitalizing the event.