The NBA has constantly been making changes to the All-Star Game format as they look to make the game more competitive and bring in extra viewership. As All-Star Weekend is set to return to NBC next season, the league is once again considering altering the format.
Adam Silver revealed that there have been discussions with the network regarding switching to a USA vs. World format for next year’s All-Star Game. Speaking to The Athletic, the NBA commissioner stated:
“Our All-Star Game will return to NBC next season in the middle of their coverage of the Winter Olympics. Given the strong interest we’ve seen in international basketball competitions, most recently in last summer’s Olympics in Paris, we’re discussing concepts with the players’ association that focus on NBA players representing their countries or regions instead of the more traditional formats that we’ve used in the past.”
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Barring an unprecedented fall-off in performances, Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Dončić will be aiming to get his sixth All-Star nod next season, along with Denver Nuggets’ big man Nikola Jokić looking for his eighth.
The world has long awaited to see the two European stars share the court together, and Silver’s proposed format would likely finally set the stage for what could be the greatest non-American duo facing off together.
This past All-Star game would have been the first, had Dončić not been injured — the two were chosen for Chuck’s Global Stars team.
For Lakers fans, seeing the duo compete on the floor together would undoubtedly bring hope that one day the Serbian superstar would suit up in Los Angeles — although it may just be wishful thinking.
Regardless, if the Four Nations-esque tournament were to come to fruition, watching Dončić and Jokić join forces to take on the league’s biggest stars would certainly be an incredible sight to witness.
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