Stephen Curry, of the Golden State Warriors, speaks to media throughout the NBA All-Star sport media day, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Picture/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
SAN FRANCISCO — This will probably be an precise All-Star matchup. On one aspect, there’s a staff with 86 mixed All-Star picks, $2.7 billion in on-court earnings and the place each single participant on the staff 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 evening in San Francisco, the NBA’s newest approach of making an attempt to make the midseason showcase occasion aggressive once more.
READ: NBA All-Star 2025: Acquainted faces, recent format in San Francisco
“It’s undoubtedly totally different, undoubtedly attention-grabbing,” New York’s Jalen Brunson mentioned. “We’ll see. I’m simply as as you.”
There’s no extra Japanese Convention vs. Western Convention. There are 4 groups with new names: Shaq’s OGs, Kenny’s Younger Stars, Chuck’s International 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 staff towards Barkley’s staff within the first semifinal. The second is the one with all of the intrigue: O’Neal’s staff of a number 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 approach into the All-Star combine by profitable Friday’s Rising Stars competitors: San Antonio’s Stephon Fortress, 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. Superb gamers, for positive, however they’re not All-Stars — no less than, formally.
And but, they might win the All-Star Recreation.
READ: NBA All-Star: Mac McClung pulls off first dunk contest three-peat
“I feel that’s most likely why they put any such format in, to sort of heighten that sense of pleasure and never desirous to be on the improper finish of that,” Lillard mentioned. “I imply, we’ll see. I feel one factor a few staff stuffed with younger gamers is that they’re going to come back on the market they usually’re going to play with some vitality. They’re going to play quick. I feel that’ll most likely heighten the competitors.”
The Rising Stars staff is, by far, the lengthy shot to win this factor, in keeping with BetMGM Sportsbook. It’s honest to say that they gained’t have a lot anticipated of them. However that mentioned, Mac McClung — who went up towards that staff within the Rising Stars competitors title sport Friday evening — mentioned he wouldn’t depend them out.
“They’re nonetheless NBA basketball gamers. They’re nonetheless actually good basketball gamers,” McClung mentioned. “And I feel everyone’s vibe is simply pleasure proper now. We’ll see how aggressive the sport is. I’m excited to look at it myself.”
That’s the entire motive for the change: Competitors, or no less than the hope of getting some.
The All-Star Recreation final yr set all types of data: a 211-186 last rating, nearly every little thing 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 match concept turned actuality.
READ: NBA: Stephon Fortress leads Group C to All-Star Recreation
“I like taking possibilities on one thing totally different, figuring out that the sport had sort of stalled out for a few years,” Curry mentioned. “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 high defensive participant of the yr candidate who’s within the All-Star Recreation for the primary time, mentioned he’s bringing his greatest.
“That’s the aim,” Wembanyama mentioned. “The aim is to not chill, for positive.”
Contained in the numbers
For example the scale 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 may be George, tied for 1,813th on the all-time scoring checklist.
The format
It’s pretty easy: untimed video games, first staff to 40 factors wins, no fouling out, common guidelines just about apply. There isn’t any comfort sport.
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Gamers on the profitable staff get $125,000 every. Gamers on the staff that finishes second get $50,000 every. The opposite two groups get $25,000 per participant.
