Adam Silver blames himself for NBA All-Star Game losing its mojo & lays measures to revive viewership: "Little bit more typical"
The NBA All-Star Game hasn't been entertaining the past few seasons, and fans aren't happy with how the league has handled the situation. The association recently announced that the East versus West format will make a comeback in this season's All-Star Game.
Commissioner Adam Silver takes full responsibility for the NBA All-Star Game's decline in the past few seasons. Under his leadership, it has had a few different tweaks. That includes the format where two teams have captains and draft their squads.
In a recent interview with Andscape, Silver addressed the decline in fan interest when it comes to the NBA All-Star Game. According to him, he's been trying to revive the competitive nature of the players.
"So that's why I say, I'll take responsibility for that," Silver said.
"We're sending mixed signals. And if we want guys to treat this like a real game, and again, this is not about Finals intensity, it's just a fun game. But if we want players to treat it that way, we have to treat it that way. And so, it means that the introduction is going to have to be a little bit shorter and halftime's going to have to be a little bit more typical, starting in Indianapolis.
"It doesn't necessarily mean that they're playing lockdown defense," Silver said. "Maybe it does during the end of the fourth quarter. It means guys come out and say, 'It's a game. Let's go try to win it.' And again, I think we have to make that message clear to the players."
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Silver shares potential concept for the 2025 NBA All-Star game
The last few years have seen the rise of international stars in the NBA. With the game becoming global, it's no surprise that international stars have become some of the best players in the league. With that in mind, Silver said there could be a chance for fans to see an NBA All-Star Game between US and international players.
Given that the last five MVP winners were all born outside of the US, it's notable that the game has gone global. Victor Wembanyama, who's the top pick in this year's draft, has also helped make the NBA a global league.
No one knows for sure how it will play out, but fans could see something unique in 2025 with the Golden State Warriors as the host.
Also read: Who won the 2023 NBA All-Star Game? Final box score, MVP, top scorers, and more