Between the Lines: The Show Goes On

Do we see the NBA take a page from the NHL’s book on how to handle an All-Star game?  In 2025, the NHL debuted the Four Nations tournament, a mid-season tournament with rosters composed of NHL talent. USA, Finland, Canada, and Switzerland faced off against each other.  The tournament was a major success in both television ratings and the level of play witnessed on the ice.  Already we have seen the NHL announce that we will see another edition of the tournament in the future, likely in a format similar to what we see with the World Cup in soccer. 

The debut of the Four Nations Tournament came on the heels of one of the worst NBA All-Star Games in the history of the league.  Viewership of the NBA All-Star Game has been on a steady decline for years, and in recent years, we have seen alterations made to the format of the actual game itself in an attempt to drum up more interest by fans.  As the NBA continues to cycle through ways to improve the All-Star Game, one thing has become clear.  Basketball fans have little to no interest in watching whatever it is that the All-Star Game has become.

In 2023, the NBA launched a mid-season tournament in an attempt to draw more attention to games in the first-half of the season.  The structure for the mid-season tournament follows a format similar to what is utilized in soccer leagues such as the English Premier League and Champions League.  With two years in the books already, opinions seem to be leaning towards being yet another failure in a growing list of failures for the NBA.  2023 also introduced a games played requirement for players to qualify for season-long awards like MVP. 

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has shown little hesitation in making alterations to what most of us called NBA basketball in our lifetimes.  While most of these changes have had little to no effect on the on-court play, Silver has made radical changes to the All-Star Game multiple times already, and plans to continue doing so.  Gone are the days of East vs West, and it appears we are on the verge of not even seeing the top players in the league participating in the game itself.  Literally hours before tip-off of the 2025 All-Star Game, reports came out that LeBron James would not be playing in the game.  Speculation surrounding the matter hinted at this being a shot at Adam Silver, who expressed his displeasure in the lack of participation by star players.

The level of dysfunction and lack of interest, by both players and fans, raises a serious question. How much longer do we see the NBA continue to roll out some form of an All-Star Game?  There is no argument that the NHL as a league is not on the same level as the NBA, but it does appear that the NBA All-Star Game is headed the same way as the NFL’s Pro Bowl.  As the importance of the All-Star Game continues to diminish, it feels that it is not a question of if the All-Star Game goes away completely, but when. 

Making an All-Star roster is commonly used within players’ contracts as an incentive bonus, and this could be the only reason players still hold any interest at all when it comes to the All-Star Game.  The attempts by the NBA to adopt formats from other sports have failed to produce anything of substance.  While leagues like the NHL have been wildly successful with promotions like the Four Nations Tournament, the NBA has faced the inverse.  

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Derek Weatherly

Derek Weatherly is a co-host on Betting the NFL. He also has a YouTube channel called Backyard Action Media (@backyardactionmedia9741) where he discusses betting and sports news for multiple sports leagues.