NBA All-Star Game format: Here’s how the league’s mini-tournament will work and who will pick the teams

Changes are coming to the NBA All-Star Game. The league confirmed Tuesday that the 2025 NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco will be a “mini-tournament” with four teams: three teams of NBA All-Stars plus the winner of the annual Rising Stars challenge. Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith of TNT’s “Inside the NBA” will be the “honorary general managers” of the three NBA All-Stars teams and will be responsible for drafting their eight-player rosters.

Here are more details on the All-Star Game changes.

NBA All-Star Game Format

• The NBA is shifting to a mini-tournament with four teams: three teams of NBA All-Stars and the winner of the Rising Stars challenge. The Rising Stars Challenge, itself a four-team tournament, will take place on Friday night and feature the league’s best first- and second-year players, plus a handful of G League players.
• Each NBA All-Stars team will have eight players. There will be a total of 24 NBA All-Stars (excluding injury replacements), the same number as in previous seasons.
• The format of the tournament, from the NBA press release: “Two teams will meet in one semifinal (Game 1), and the two remaining teams will meet in the other semifinal (Game 2). The winning teams of Game 1 and the Game 2 will advance to meet in the championship (Game 3). For each game, the winner will be the first team to reach or exceed 40 points.
• The voting process remains the same, so 10 players will be chosen as “starters” and there will be 12 players per conference. Again, from the NBA statement: “The five players honored as starters in each conference will be selected by fans (50% of the vote), current NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%). The seven players honored as reserves in each conference will be selected by the NBA head coaches. Voting begins Thursday (December 19).
• There is a prize pool of $1.8 million. Each player on the championship-winning team receives $125,000. Players on the second-place team will receive $50,000. Players on teams that lose in the semifinals receive $25,000.

Previously, the league held a 48-minute All-Star Game, traditionally between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Teams were chosen by top vote-getters between 2018 and 2023, but the league reverted to East vs. West last season in Indianapolis. The result was a 397 point affair that generated a lot of criticism.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has reiterated lamented the quality of the game in the recent All-Star Games and stated that the league is open to modifying the format. During his media availability in Mexico on Nov. 2, Silver hinted something like this by saying that the league was considering not having a “traditional game format” this year.

Silver added: “I think everyone was disappointed by what they saw last year. It wasn’t just the league, it was the players, it was the players association, too. I think we all did what we thought we could, thinking we would do it.” “particularly in Indiana, kind of the heartland of basketball, we would kind of try it in college and see a more competitive game.”

Silver said the league had confirmed a committee to discuss the issue with the NBPA and team representatives about trying “something new” to “excite the fans and also the players, so it’s something they’re into.” excited to participate.” “

The 2025 All-Star weekend will take place February 14-16 in San Francisco. Silver said league officials have “had direct conversations” with Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry about changing the format because Curry is “very proud and wants to make sure the players are doing their best.” .