Dallas Basketball

Jason Kidd Sounds Off on New All-Star Game Format

NBA players and coaches have thoughts about the changes.

Keenan Womack

Dec 7, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd looks on during the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd looks on during the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
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This season, the NBA All-Star Game has yet another new format as the league tries to draw more eyes after a down season of ratings. All-Star Weekend has often drawn criticism for its lack of competitive play, which led Adam Silver and the NBA brass to make changes to the setup.

This year's format will feature a four-team tournament, with three of these teams being made up of eight NBA All-Stars each. The fourth team will be the winner of the Rising Stars challenge, which will take place the night before.

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The games will be decided by the first team to reach 40 points, but the overall format has drawn the ire of players like Kevin Durant, who said the following about the revamped All-Star weekend: "Terrible – All-Star Game format changing, all the formats – terrible in my opinion," he said. "We should just go back to East-West. Just play a game. I think we’ve been trying to bring that flare back somehow with the All-Star Weekend, but I think we just keep it traditional."

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has his own thoughts on the matter, seemingly sharing Durant's sentiment, though in less acerbic terms: "They are trying to figure out how to make the All-Star game fun, competitive. Hopefully, this is the answer, they are running out of options… Can always go back to East-West."

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While a controversial decision overall, with viewership on the decline, it's clear the NBA is willing to make changes in order to please fans. Whether or not this strategy will work in particular remains to be seen, but if Durant's take is any indication, it may not be to the players' liking.

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Keenan Womack
KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.

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