Within the NBA’s fresh and most likely maximum drastic struggle to restore the league’s beleaguered All-Celebrity weekend, it introduced Tuesday that it’s replacing the traditional All-Star game with a pickup-style tournament.
TNT analysts and NBA veterans Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith will provide as staff captains.
The announcement confirms multiple reports that the league was once taking into account adopting a event layout. The untouched layout will debut on Feb. 16 because the Blonde Situation Warriors host the league’s annual All-Celebrity festivities. In lieu of a unmarried All-Celebrity competition that’s historically performed on Sunday, the league will host a one-day event that includes 4 groups made up of 8 avid gamers every.
One perennial All-Celebrity has already weighed in at the layout. In his phrases, “it’s terrible.” However extra on that upcoming. Right here’s what the All-Celebrity event will seem like:
How the All-Celebrity event works
3 groups will encompass the 24 avid gamers decided on as All-Stars. Barkley, O’Neal and Smith will draft the groups that will probably be referred to as Staff Chuck, Staff Shaq and Staff Kenny. The draft will probably be carried out on TNT on Feb. 6, related to earlier All-Celebrity drafts that consisted of 2 participant captains opting for groups.
The fourth staff would be the winner of the Emerging Stars Problem that will probably be hung on Friday, Feb. 14. 4 groups made up of first- and second-year NBA avid gamers and G League standouts will play games a three-game event to crown a champion. The Emerging Stars layout that’s been worn in earlier years serves as a type for the untouched All-Celebrity Sunday event.
WNBA legend and TNT analyst Candace Parker will provide because the honorary normal supervisor of the Emerging Stars staff that advances to Sunday’s event. The staff will probably be referred to as Staff Candace.
The All-Celebrity staff coaches will come from the NBA groups with the most productive report within the Jap and Western convention as of Feb. 2. The top coaches of every staff will provide as coaches of 2 of the All-Celebrity groups. Workman coaches from every staff will provide because the coaches for the Emerging Stars staff and the 3rd All-Celebrity staff.
The event will consist of 2 semifinals and a championship competition, every of which will probably be performed to 40 issues. The league’s announcement didn’t deal with how the groups will probably be seeded.
Kevin Durant on untouched layout: ‘I hate it’
Kevin Durant has already weighed in at the untouched layout. He does now not approve. Durant was once requested in regards to the layout at Suns observe on Tuesday. Right here’s what he needed to say:
I requested Kevin Durant what he concept in regards to the untouched layout for the NBA All-Celebrity Sport: “I hate it. Absolutely hate it. Terrible….We should just go back to East-West.” pic.twitter.com/T7owR5aJY7
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 17, 2024
“I hate it,” Durant stated. “Completely abhor it. It’s unfortunate. All-Celebrity competition codecs converting — the entire codecs are unfortunate in my view. We will have to simply advance again to East-West, simply play games a competition.
“I think we’ve been trying to bring that flair back somehow with the All-Star weekend. But I think we just keep it traditional. But we’ll see how this one works. You never know. I might be wrong. I’m just another guy with another opinion.”
Durant might or now not bear in mind right here that he performed in an East vs. West layout that was once revived utmost season and resulted in a 211-186 final score from a game that featured little competition and even less defense.
Will money prize inspire avid gamers?
There will probably be money at stake, with a complete prize puddle of $1.8 million. Gamers at the groups that lose within the semifinals will earn $25,000 every. The championship competition losers will obtain $50,000 every. Gamers at the championship staff will probably be awarded $125,000 every.
The league is converting the layout in an struggle to create a aggressive product all through its All-Celebrity show off. All-Celebrity video games lately have featured slight to disagree protection or aggressive struggle and feature equipped slight explanation why for enthusiasts to song in.
The league has made more than one adjustments to the All-Celebrity competition all through the years in an struggle to create a extra compelling product. It scrapped the normal East vs. West layout for a playground-style competition of groups decided on through All-Celebrity captains simplest to return to the East vs. West format in 2024.
It’s tinkered with the scoring, together with an Elam Ending format that was implemented in 2020. It’s added capitaltreasury prize swimming pools with larger prizes awarded to the selected capitaltreasury of the profitable staff.
Not one of the earlier adjustments has ended in compelling or aggressive basketball. Is the untouched pickup-style event the solution?