The NBA could be about to switch the All-Star game’s current format for a player draft to a matchup between the Eastern and Western conferences, according tothe athleteMike Voorkunov and Shams Charania.
The news comes after the NBA and NBA agreed to discuss the idea of making the annual exhibition game more competitive in recent months as part of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, according to The Athletic. The East vs. West structure is just one of the concepts being discussed, Vorkunov and Sharanya report.
Changes to the game may come before the 2024 All-Star Game in Indianapolis.
The player draft format for the All-Star Game has been in place since 2018. Currently, the players with the most votes in each conference serve as team captains and hold a draft to select starters and reserves for their respective teams, regardless of which conference each player competes in.
Prior to the change in 18, players were selected based on their conference affiliation. The head coaches for All-Star teams come from the teams with the best records in their conference.
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Team Giannis) and Lakers forward James (Team LeBron) served as team captains during the 2023 All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah. Giannis’ team defeated LeBron’s team, 184-175, in February.