Stephen Curry, of the Golden State Warriors, speaks to media through the NBA All-Star sport media day, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photograph/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
SAN FRANCISCO — This might be an precise All-Star matchup. On one aspect, there’s a workforce with 86 mixed All-Star picks, $2.7 billion in on-court earnings and the place each single participant on the workforce is both an NBA champion, an Olympic gold medalist, or each.
On the opposite, there’s a bunch of younger guys with out a lot in the best way of resumes but.
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Welcome to the reimagined NBA All-Star Recreation, a single-elimination mini-tournament: 4 groups of eight gamers, three video games, first to 40 factors wins and a David vs. Goliath component thrown in there for good measure. It occurs Sunday night time in San Francisco, the NBA’s newest means of attempting to make the midseason showcase occasion aggressive once more.
READ: NBA All-Star 2025: Acquainted faces, contemporary format in San Francisco
“It’s undoubtedly completely different, undoubtedly attention-grabbing,” New York’s Jalen Brunson stated. “We’ll see. I’m simply as as you.”
There’s no extra Jap Convention vs. Western Convention. There are 4 groups with new names: Shaq’s OGs, Kenny’s Younger Stars, Chuck’s World Stars and Candace’s Rising Stars, all a nod to TNT analysts and basketball greats Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Candace Parker.
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It’ll be Smith’s workforce towards Barkley’s workforce within the first semifinal. The second is the one with all of the intrigue: O’Neal’s workforce of a few of the greatest names in basketball historical past — LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
They’re going up towards this group of first- and second-year gamers that earned their means into the All-Star combine by successful Friday’s Rising Stars competitors: San Antonio’s Stephon Citadel, Utah’s Keyonte George, Phoenix’s Ryan Dunn, Memphis teammates Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells, Golden State’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dalton Knecht and Houston’s Amen Thompson. High quality gamers, for certain, however they’re not All-Stars — not less than, formally.
And but, they might win the All-Star Recreation.
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“I feel that’s in all probability why they put any such format in, to sort of heighten that sense of pleasure and never eager to be on the fallacious finish of that,” Lillard stated. “I imply, we’ll see. I feel one factor a couple of workforce stuffed with younger gamers is that they’re going to come back on the market and so they’re going to play with some power. They’re going to play quick. I feel that’ll in all probability heighten the competitors.”
The Rising Stars workforce is, by far, the lengthy shot to win this factor, in line with BetMGM Sportsbook. It’s truthful to say that they gained’t have a lot anticipated of them. However that stated, Mac McClung — who went up towards that workforce within the Rising Stars competitors title sport Friday night time — stated he wouldn’t rely them out.
“They’re nonetheless NBA basketball gamers. They’re nonetheless actually good basketball gamers,” McClung stated. “And I feel all people’s vibe is simply pleasure proper now. We’ll see how aggressive the sport is. I’m excited to observe it myself.”
That’s the entire motive for the change: Competitors, or not less than the hope of getting some.
The All-Star Recreation final 12 months set all kinds of data: a 211-186 remaining rating, nearly all the things 3-pointers or dunks, and it didn’t sit properly with Commissioner Adam Silver and the remainder of the NBA decision-makers. They don’t need Recreation 7-type mayhem. They need a greater product.
So, the event concept turned actuality.
READ: NBA: Stephon Citadel leads Crew C to All-Star Recreation
“I like taking possibilities on one thing completely different, figuring out that the sport had sort of stalled out for a few years,” Curry stated. “I feel it’ll work simply because it’ll be one thing new for everyone.”
At the very least one participant is vowing to play protection on this All-Star Recreation. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, a prime defensive participant of the 12 months candidate who’s within the All-Star Recreation for the primary time, stated he’s bringing his finest.
“That’s the objective,” Wembanyama stated. “The objective is to not chill, for certain.”
Contained in the numbers
For instance the dimensions of the mismatch — on paper — within the second semifinal, think about this:
Shaq’s OGs have the No. 1 (James), No. 8 (Durant), No. 13 (Harden), the No. 27 (Curry), No. 37 (Lillard), No. 81 (Irving), No. 220 (Tatum) and No. 337 (Brown) scorers in NBA historical past.
The Rising Stars’ main scorer: That will be George, tied for 1,813th on the all-time scoring record.
The format
It’s pretty easy: untimed video games, first workforce to 40 factors wins, no fouling out, common guidelines just about apply. There isn’t a comfort sport.
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Gamers on the successful workforce get $125,000 every. Gamers on the workforce that finishes second get $50,000 every. The opposite two groups get $25,000 per participant.
