April 2023 Basketball Wiretap

NBA All-Star Game To Return To East Versus West Format This Season

Oct 26, 2023 12:57 AM

The NBA All-Star Game will return to its classic Eastern Conference versus Western Conference format this year, the league announced.

The rosters will be made up of 12 players from each conference. 

The game will also revert to the traditional scoring system with four 12-minute quarters instead of a target score ending.

The 2024 All-Star Game will take place in Indianapolis. 

NBA Communications

Tags: NBA, NBA All-Star

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NBA Considering Return Of East Vs. West All-Star Game

Oct 18, 2023 4:25 PM

The NBA is considering moving back to the East vs. West format for this year's All-Star Game after having captains select teams over the past several years. 

"We're looking at some potential changes in format in Indianapolis this year," Adam Silver said about the 2024 All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. "Maybe a return to something more traditional in terms of how the teams are presented. We went to sort of this captain and draft notion, but clearly historically it was East vs. West. So that's maybe something we are looking at."

Silver believes the volume of events and activities throughout All-Star weekend has contributed to the players lacking the energy for the actual game on Sunday.

"The All-Star Weekend is quite a spectacle," Silver said. "I'm always sort of laughing because before the game even starts on Sunday afternoon, people are saying, 'This is the best ever!' And I'm like, 'We'll, we've got this game.' I'll take some fault for that because when you're there this year in Indianapolis, beginning essentially Thursday night and then through Sunday, I think it's an opportunity for this whole global basketball community to come together. Great legends of the game. Not just the All-Stars, but lots of players. I don't know how it works in other sports, but we have dozens and dozens of players in the league who choose to come to All Star Weekend for the activities for various events who aren't even All-Stars. So I think we've lost sight a bit that it's about the game at the end of the day."

Silver also downplayed the idea of Team USA vs. The World.

Tim Bontemps/ESPN

Tags: NBA, NBA All-Star

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