This year’s All-Star game between the best of the East and the West was nothing short of a downer. Fans and media analysts across the globe called out both the league as well as the players for failing to put on a show. While many are discussing how to improve the game, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has a probable Team USA vs. International game which could replace the traditional All-Star game.
Charles Barkley and Gayle King‘s show on CNN ‘King Charles’ invited Commissioner Adam Silver for a chat about the state of the NBA.
When I saw the popularity of Steph vs Sabrina. We should just be looking to do different things and just make it a celebration of basketball. 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. Silver, while speaking about the All-Star game
Commissioner Silver added that the All-Star game has changed since Barkley played. The competitiveness is lacking even though there is still some entertainment value.
This season’s All-Star game was devoid of any competitiveness. And Commissioner Silver accepted the blame as the head of the league for causing disappointment for the fans. Now the league is looking at alternatives to improve the entertainment factor of the All-Star weekend.
Commissioner Silver alluded to the Steph vs Sabrina 3-point contest, which happened to be the biggest draw of the weekend. The popularity has prompted them to think about bringing in more alternatives to the weekend. Silver acknowledged that at the end of the day, the fans have to be entertained.
How Adam Silver and the NBA can fix the All-Star game
Charles Barkley suggested the concept of Team USA vs International before. The idea of pitching the best USA players versus the best international players would add a sense of pride to the players. Adam Silver admitted that even though the old school competitiveness is no longer there, this addition of pride could add a bit of spice to the game.
Silver and Barkley understand that teams don’t want any injuries to their players during the All-Star weekend. However, this sense of pride in the USA vs. International game could improve the competition a tad bit more. The league will also have to look towards expanding or changing other formats to improve the entertainment factor. Events like the dunk contest and the skills challenge were criticized along with the All-Star game.
However, the Steph vs Sabrina 3-point contest and the traditionally competitive 3-point contest maintained some sort of interest in fans. And Adam Silver and the NBA want to expand on that.
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