The NBA All-Star Game will have a new format for 2025, and it will apparently include a message to the players to “put out more of a fight.”
Last year’s NBA All-Star Game drew widespread condemnation. Fans roasted the players on social media for showing little effort, and sports media called the game everything from a “disgraceful farce” to “irredeemable.” Even former President Barack Obama offered a brutal take, saying, “It insults the game … I ain’t watching that thing no more.”
So the All-Star Game will boast a new look this year, with a tournament consisting of four teams, three teams of NBA All-Stars, and the annual Rising Stars challenge winner.
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Friday that the league and the National Basketball Players Association will talk to players before the event to send a message.
“The league, and the players union, will address the All-Star players on Sunday prior to the All-Star Game on the importance of competing and putting on a show for the fans,” Haynes said.
“Now I’m told that these are talks that go on routinely prior to an All-Star Game, but it’s even more apparent now that with the changes to the All-Star format to multiple teams, and the heightened scrutiny of how players seem uninterested on All-Star Sundays, this message is expected to highly urge players to put out more of a fight for the consumer, and for business.”
Sources: The league and players union to meet together with players on Sunday prior to All-Star Game to highly stress the importance of competing for fans and for the business. #haynesbriefs
Sponsored by @Nuna_USA pic.twitter.com/Zpvetlbso4
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 14, 2025
Will the NBA and players union sending such a message give players more incentive this year? Will the new format make a difference? Or is the concept of an NBA All-Star Game antiquated and beyond redemption in terms of competition? The NFL Pro Bowl has faced similar issues of player and fan apathy in recent years. This year’s game drew the second-lowest TV ratings in history, down 18% from 2024.
Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, which will be played at the Chase Center, will be broadcast at 8 p.m. on TNT and TruTV.
