Once again, NBA fans are getting what they want —albeit in an unwanted, twisted, and confusing repackaging. The most significant announcement from Adam Silver’s office this week is the NBA All-Star game’s adoption of the polarizing format of US vs. the World.

Last season, the Inside Guys, particularly Shaq and Chuck, were used to stage a Team USA vs. International Players setup. It was a fast-paced tournament that barely gave fans a chance to enjoy the experience. Did the NBA improve on that? Fans hardly think so.

It’s almost similar to last time, but without the Inside Guys pretending it wasn’t deliberate. This year, there will be three eight-man rosters —two consisting solely of American players and the third featuring international players. Unlike last time, there will be no captains, and the selection process has changed.

Each team will have five starters and seven reserves drawn from both conferences. Fans, media, and players will vote for the starters, while coaches will select the reserves. In a surprising twist, the selection will not be based on positions.

The top 5 players with most votes will become the starting lineup regardless of positions. But that’s not even the worst part.

The vote system, the position less basketball, and the compulsion to recreate the 2024 Olympics present the most convoluted format fans absolutely don’t want. So as usual, the NBA’s attempt to overhaul the All-Star aesthetic has left fans fuming. Not even Michael Jordan can save this.

Fans do Adam Silver’s job

“My favorite thing about the change is that it’s not overly complicated.” Note the sarcasm, because that’s all fans could muster after the news. Rage and disappointment are old. The reaction to the new format was met with skepticism and irony.

Not sure if Adam Silver’s team thought it through or if they thought it through rather well, but the general observer caught on to the loophole. “I see what they want to do but how can you choose 12 East and 12 West AND still have 8 “World” players and 16 USA. It seems someone will be left off because they already have 8 “World” players.”

When it comes to International players, the usual suspects – Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Wemby, SGA and Giannis Antetokounmpo – are likely to get the most votes. But what about the American All-Stars? Will the NBA force the votes to lean into two categories from two diverse conferences? Or will it be organic and then unevenly divided across three teams?

The solution is apparently Adam Silver. If the votes don’t make a 16-8 split (which it likely won’t), the NBA commissioner will select the players.

There’s also the round-robin tournament format that fans don’t like. The 15-minute games from last season were too fast, and some of the games, like the G-leaguers against the vets, weren’t given due regard. “Eh, it was one International team vs a US team. That’s it. No tournaments. It was very simple and again they blew it.”

The agreers just want to see the international titans on one team. “I actually like this idea because I want a Team USA vs. Team World NBA game. The idea of Luka, Wemby, Giannis, SGA, and Jokic all on one team, and knowing there’s nothing Team USA can do to stop them, is very exciting to watch for me. So, good job, NBA/Adam Silver!” and the others are mad that the likes of Alperen Sengun and Josh Giddey probably won’t get the chance they deserve.

Even the old critique about the continuous All-Star overhaul was brought back. “Just do it normal and offer more money to the winning side. This is a galaxy brain over-think. We just want to see some crazy dunks and players trying hard in the 4th quarter.” 

Others recommend bringing in the nostalgia with the classic recommendation. “Can we just get a traditional east vs west and the winner gets home court for finals?! 😩”

Fans have long wanted the USA vs. the World format. But not like this, not with such a great disparity. They’re bracing themselves for a lot of young talent getting overlooked in a possible popularity contest, and the rage is going to carry forward to the All-Star Weekend.