Million-dollar 1-on-1 showdown? 2026 NBA All-Star Game to undergo massive changes: Report
For years, the NBA has tried to bring back life to the All-Star Game. The fans have complained tirelessly about the apparent lack of competitiveness, and they've called out players for seemingly not caring about it.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver reportedly met with the players before the games to discuss the importance of competition, but the new format was met mostly with negative reviews.
That's why the league could look to tweak things up again. According to a report by Front Office Sports, the 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles could start earlier (5 pm EST) and, more importantly, feature a 1-on-1 tournament.
Per the report, the winner of the said tournament would make $1 million, so there are more than enough incentives to participate.
The fans have been urging the league to put together a 1-on-1 tournament for years now, and now that Unrivaled has set a precedent with it, the NBA might have no choice but to take a page off their book.
Hopefully, that will also motivate the best players on Earth to partake in this. Perhaps they can ensure that by only allowing All-Stars to enroll.
Damian Lillard liked the new All-Star Game format
As confusing as the new format was to some, and despite Draymond Green's harsh criticism of it, some players actually seemed to like it.
Following the game, Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard claimed that it seemed like the game had finally gotten some of its competitiveness back:
"I think they were just looking for a more competitive game and trying to find ways to create that," Lillard said. "I thought tonight was a little bit more competitive than it had been the last few years.
"I think that was the number one thing -- provide a bit of entertainment and a little bit more competitiveness on the floor and it felt like we did that tonight."
Long gone are the days of players going at it and playing hard during the All-Star Game, and at the end of the day, it seems like that's all the fans want to see.
Hopefully, whatever changes the league decides to apply for the upcoming editions will finally bring back life to a weekend that used to be one of the most-awaited moments in the NBA season.