INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Athletic polled more than 30 NBA players in Los Angeles for All-Star Weekend about a variety of issues around the league. Below, players speak on the new All-Star Game format.
Do you like the new All-Star Game format?
Yes: 16
No: 1
Before we go any further, you should know that NBA players were widely supportive of last year’s All-Star format, which was widely considered a flop and was replaced.
Basically, when players are invited to participate in All-Star weekend, regardless of the event, they are generally supportive, even if they go out and sleepwalk through an All-Star Game.
This time, as you know, that’s not what happened. Two teams of American stars and one of players representing nine other countries competed their behinds off in one of the most thrilling All-Star games ever. Kawhi Leonard tied a record for points in a “quarter” (we still aren’t sure if the record counts, because now the 12-minute periods are called “games”). Anthony Edwards, an Olympic gold medalist who figures to anchor the U.S. team in 2028, was named MVP.
“It was cool,” said Indiana Pacers All-Star Pascal Siakam, who’s from Cameroon. “I don’t think it’s more the format than (it is) guys just playing a little bit. There’s some different people, obviously, Wemby (Victor Wembanyama) and the guys. And when you talk about the OGs, Kawhi was playing the hardest, you know?”
“I like this format,” Edwards said. “I think it makes us compete because it’s only 12 minutes, and the three different teams separate the guys. I think it was really good.”
First-time All-Star Deni Avdija, who was born in Israel, said he thought the new format “brought more (juice) from the (older American team),”
“They were really going at it,” the Portland Trail Blazers forward said. “I think it brought some competitiveness with it. And it’s a fun format. And it shows how the game went global, which is amazing to see. And I hope it’s even going to continue to expand and people understand it’s fun to watch the All-Star Game, and it’s going to be a little more competitive.”
Most of the respondents were asked what they thought of the new format before the game was actually played. Also, a few of our respondents were left out of the final tally, because, well, they didn’t know the rules had changed, again.
The lone player who expressed opposition to the format was the Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis, who shared his opinion on All-Star Saturday.
“Not the hugest fan of it,” Portis said. “I like the original (East vs. West format). Just growing up as a kid, all these stars that you look up to, and you love to see all of them play with each other and compete against each other. It’s a new era, but I do like the originality of just being simple.”
— The Athletic’s Dan Woike, Law Murray, Shakeia Taylor, Sam Amick, John Hollinger, David Aldridge, Jared Weiss, and Jason Jones contributed to this story.