After the poor reception of the 2023 All-Star game, the league decided to return to the classic East vs. West format. The changes to the format, such as doing away with the Elam Ending, aimed to streamline the event with a renewed focus on competition. However, despite these efforts, the 2024 All-Star Game fell short of expectations once again, which prompted discussions about ways to revive the competitiveness seen in past All-Star games.

With little to no incentive to play, combined with the risk of getting hurt when half of the regular season and a playoff’s worth of games are still left, it is understandable that the players would be wary to go all in during a game that does not even count. Jalen Brunson echoed similar sentiments when he stated, “I’m not saying guys don’t want to compete; it’s just like if something happens, organizations and everyone’s going to be pis*ed.” However, in the recent episode of the Roommates Show, Jalen Brunson proposed a few ideas that could boost participation from players during the ASG.

For starters, Adam Silver could follow the old MLB’s way and experiment giving the home court advantage to the conference that wins the marquee event. Another idea that could spark excitement, according to the New York Knicks star, is if the league explored a three-on-three tournament. However, he argued that it would require a significant monetary reward to get the players to give their all. “You would need astronomical amount of money for guys to be like, ‘Yo, I’m trying to get it’. I would 100% agree. I think that would be really cool but the state of our game right now is weird,” stated Brunson.

Does Jalen Brunson’s solution hold any weight?

Apart from the iconic three-point challenge between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, all the other staple events of the All-Star Weekend failed to amuse the viewers. The lack of defensive effort made this year’s ASG a high-scoring affair that saw both teams combine for nearly 300 points. Team Giannis came out on top, beating Team LeBron 211-186, marking the first time a team crossed the 200-point mark in event history. The fans were once again left longing for a much more competitive showdown, as they watched the players get open shots at will and drive to the basket uncontested.

In the wake of this year’s ASG, the implementation of the old Major League Baseball way would not only incentivize players to be more fierce but would also ensure that the majority of the best players are playing full-game minutes, especially those who will have a chance to play in June. Should Adam Silver consider Brunson’s solutions for the 2025 All-Star game? Let us know in the comments!

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