The NBA has been tinkering with the league’s All-Star Game format since 2018, and it’s clear that some players miss the old days. That includes Devin Booker, who reminisced the days when each conference’s best talent competed while representing their respective franchises.
Advertisement
“I’m more into the nostalgia,” shared Booker. “I agree with Kev [Kevin Durant], I like East vs. West… With your own team jersey, I like the old jerseys.”
Booker was talking about the time when the selected players would hit the All-Star game in their team colors. The league implemented uniform jersey for the East and West teams during 1997’s mid-season competition. The 28-year-old Phoenix Suns guard yearns for a return to the team-specific representation.
Devin Booker on the new NBA All-Star format:
“It’s change, it’s different. I’m more into the nostalgia. I agree with Kev, I like East vs. West, with your own team jersey. I like the old jerseys”
pic.twitter.com/3ETlTr4WXY— CantGuardBook (@CGBBURNER) December 18, 2024
Booker echoed his teammate Durant’s sentiment, believing that the league is doing too much with the festivities around the All-Star weekend. When KD was asked about the latest format the league is implementing, the 14-time All-Star was even more passionate in expressing his distaste for the constant tinkering.
“I hate it, I absolutely hate it… All the formats terrible in my opinion, we should just go back to East-West. I think we’ve been trying to bring that flare back somehow with the All-Star Weekend,” said KD.
NBA’s new All-Star Format
The NBA had experimented with several tweaks to the All-Star format in recent years, including implementing a draft-style system, allowing each conference’s top-voted player to hand-pick their roster. Even more recently, the matchup introduced an Elam ending, which set a target point total to decide a winner by adding 24 points to the leading team’s score after the third quarter.
Both changes have been subtle but appreciated twists to the game. However, the league has taken its experimentation to the next level this year.
This season, the game will take the form of a mini-tournament featuring four teams, each playing three games. Three of the teams will consist of NBA All-Star selections, while the fourth team will comprise the champions from the Rising Stars Game. While the alterations could result in a fun competition, format adjustments weren’t what the fans were hoping for.
The NBA’s All-Star Weekend has struggled with a lack of competitiveness for years now. These modifications appear to be the league’s best hope for a remedy. What spectators really want to see, however, is the best basketball players in the world giving a semi-decent effort during the star-studded event.
The contest has long been plagued by lackadaisical defense, open dunks, and ridiculously deep three-point attempts that have had many fans ignoring the spectacle completely.
It remains to be seen if this season’s format will give a ratings boost to an event that has suffered over the past decade. However, regardless of any refinements the league makes to the game, fans won’t be impressed until the competitive edge that the NBA All-Star Game was famous for returns.
