Stephen Curry, of the Golden State Warriors, speaks to media through the NBA All-Star recreation media day, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Picture/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
SAN FRANCISCO — This shall be an precise All-Star matchup. On one aspect, there’s a staff with 86 mixed All-Star choices, $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 night time in San Francisco, the NBA’s newest means of attempting to make the midseason showcase occasion aggressive once more.
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“It’s positively completely different, positively fascinating,” New York’s Jalen Brunson stated. “We’ll see. I’m simply as as you.”
There’s no extra Jap 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 in opposition to Barkley’s staff within the first semifinal. The second is the one with all of the intrigue: O’Neal’s staff of among the largest 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 in opposition to this group of first- and second-year gamers that earned their means into the All-Star combine by successful 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. Advantageous gamers, for certain, however they’re not All-Stars — a minimum of, formally.
And but, they might win the All-Star Recreation.
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“I feel that’s most likely why they put this sort of format in, to type of heighten that sense of pleasure and never desirous to be on the improper finish of that,” Lillard stated. “I imply, we’ll see. I feel one factor a few staff stuffed with younger gamers is that they’re going to return on the market and so they’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 accordance with BetMGM Sportsbook. It’s honest to say that they received’t have a lot anticipated of them. However that stated, Mac McClung — who went up in opposition to that staff within the Rising Stars competitors title recreation Friday night time — stated he wouldn’t depend them out.
“They’re nonetheless NBA basketball gamers. They’re nonetheless actually good basketball gamers,” McClung stated. “And I feel everyone’s vibe is simply pleasure proper now. We’ll see how aggressive the sport is. I’m excited to observe it myself.”
That’s the entire motive for the change: Competitors, or a minimum of the hope of getting some.
The All-Star Recreation final yr set all kinds of information: a 211-186 remaining rating, nearly every 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 thought grew to become actuality.
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“I like taking possibilities on one thing completely different, figuring out that the sport had type of stalled out for a few years,” Curry stated. “I feel it’ll work simply because it’ll be one thing new for everyone.”
No less than 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, stated he’s bringing his greatest.
“That’s the aim,” Wembanyama stated. “The aim is to not chill, for certain.”
Contained in the numbers
For example the dimensions of the mismatch — on paper — within the second semifinal, take into account 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 will 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 recreation.
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Gamers on the successful 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.