The NBA is exploring the possibility of introducing a tournament-style format for its All-Star Game, similar to the structure used in the Rising Stars competition in recent years.
Sources familiar with the discussions, who spoke anonymously, revealed that the idea has been under consideration for several weeks and was discussed further during a competition committee meeting on Friday.
Under the proposed format, the 24 All-Star players would be divided into three teams of eight, with the fourth team likely being the winner of the Rising Stars competition held earlier in the weekend.
These changes could be implemented starting with the All-Star weekend in San Francisco, scheduled for February 14-16.
It is unclear how the voting process will be affected. Traditionally, fans, players, media, and coaches have all played a role in selecting the All-Star teams. In the new format, however, there would be no reserves, meaning all four voting groups'fans, players, media, and coaches'would likely contribute to choosing the 24 players.
