NBA: League Considering Return to East vs. West All-Star Game Format

Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry - 2021 NBA All-Star Game
(Photo : Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) ATLANTA, GEORGIA - Stephen Curry (#30) of Team LeBron is defended by Kyrie Irving (#11) of Team Durant during the second half in the 70th NBA All-Star Game at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The NBA is considering reverting to the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format for the annual All-Star Game, among other concepts.

The league used the traditional East vs.West format since the game's inception in 1951 until 2017.

A new format was introduced for the 2018 edition of the exhibition game, where the most popular player in each conference via fan voting will be named team captain. The two captains will then undergo a draft to choose their teammates from a pool of players determined by fans, players, and media.

In 2020, further changes in the rules were implemented to honor Kobe Bryant, who passed away that year. The first three quarters would be individually scored, with each's quarter's winning team having to donate to a charity of their choice.

The cumulative score will then be posted in the fourth quarter, and the game would go down to an Elam ending with a target score of 24 points added to the leading team's score. Since then, the game has produced cardiac arrest moments due to the tense nature of reaching the required target score.

Read more: Nuggets Coach Michael Malone Rips National Media 

NBA, NBPA Wants to Make All-Star Game More Competitive

The NBA and the league's players' union, the National Basketball Players' Association, agreed to hold talks about increased competitiveness in the exhibition game featuring the league's best players.

The proposed ideas will be part of the new collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and NBPA. Changes could come as early as the 2023-24 NBA season.

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