NBA to return to East-West All-Star Game

According to the Associated Press on Wednesday, the National Basketball Association is returning to the traditional East/West format for the 2024 All-Star Game at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The game had a different format from 2018 to 2023. In this six year time period, the top vote leader by the fans in each conference drafted players. It was common for players from different conferences to be on the same team.

Among the captains were Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James of Akron, Ohio, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry of Akron, Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo of Athens, Greece, and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant of Washington, District of Columbia. It should be noted that when Durant was named captain, he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets.

The NBA All-Star Game had an East/West format from 1951 to 2017. The last time Indianapolis hosted the All-Star Game was 1985. That year the Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference 140-129. The star of the game was Houston Rockets center Ralph Sampson of Harrisonburg, Virginia, who had a double-double. The first round pick of the 1983 NBA Draft had 24 points and 10 rebounds.

The fact that the NBA is returning to the traditional conference format is a positive step. However, they need to return to the traditional scoring system in order for the game to peak my interest. To have a target score and the shot clock turned off with four minutes left only makes sense if you know the rules beforehand. For casual viewers who are tuning into the game, the format is complicated.

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