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The traditional Star Match, which concludes the All-Star Weekend, is competed on Sunday with a new formula to renew the enthusiasm of a match that has lost interest over the years.
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211 to 186. The river score of the 2024 edition of the All-Star Game, with a totally nonexistent defense and a record number of points, pushed an already loss of speed into caricature. The 2025 edition of the Star Match, which takes place in San Francisco (California) on the night of Sunday, February 16 to Monday, February 17, will therefore be in a completely new format to maintain the interest of one of the flagship products of the NBA, announced in emergency on December 18. Franceinfo: Sport presents this new formula which will have to prove its relevance to make again recipe.
A four -team tournament format
Originally, the format was simple: a team with the best players of the East Conference against the best of the Western Conference. “At the beginning, the idea was to see the best players in the world together, retrace At Franceinfo: Sport George Eddy, historic NBA commentator on Canal+. It had to be enough to attract the whole world because we never saw Magic Johnson playing with Michael Jordan and the other superstars. “ This year, it will not be two but four teams of eight players (five holders and three replacements) who will compete in a mini-tournoi. There will be no time limit, but a number of points to reach to pocket victory: 40.
A format that is not unanimous, starting with Kevin Durant, for the 15th time selected for the All Star Game: “I hate it. We should just go back to the east-west format. But you never know, I may be wrong, we will see”said the Phoenix Suns winger in December.
This format could nevertheless encourage players to get more involved and defend from the start of the match. “That Responsible the players, they all play. Then having few points is nice, because it can go fast “notes Jacques Monclar, former player and coach, now beIN Sports consultant. The tournament will start with two semi-finals, before seeing the winners compete in the final for a total of three games.
24 selected players, including Victor Wembanyama
The 24 players designated by the media, the players and the public, were distributed in three teams by the old stars Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. The last team is made up of the victorious team of the “Rising Stars Challenge”, the match of the young hopes played on Friday, and coached by the legend La WNBA, Candace Parker.
Victor Wembanyama, who will honor his first All-Star selection for his second season in the NBA, was placed in the formation of Charles Barkley, very international with the Triple MVP Serbian Nikola Jokic, the Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo, ultimately injury package, or Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Shaquille O'Neal has chosen to compose a team with American stars thirties (LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant). Finally, Kenny Smith will oversee that of young American stars (Antony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr.)
Note that between the All-Star Game and the Rising Stars Challenge, four French people participate in this gala weekend: Victor Wembanyama during the All-Star Game, Bilal Coulibaly, Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr during the Rising Stars, where they were eliminated. Unheard of for French basketball.
Raising bonuses to motivate players
To bring together players wishing to shine and be performing, the NBA has further increased the premiums this year. Until 2017, each player of the victorious team collected $ 50,000, then $ 100,000 from 2018. This year, there will be $ 125,000 per capita for the winners, $ 50,000 for the finalists and 25,000 for those eliminated in the semi-finals.
A consecutive increase to certain proposals born after the sad show of the 2023 edition, who had made Mike Malone, coach of one of the evening teams said, that it was the “Worse match never played”. Asked about what should be changed, Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had launched: “The money speaks. The more incentives, the more players are motivated to play. I like the current formula, I don't think it needs to be changed, but if they want, I think it will pass by”.
A formula that can no longer hang the public
A sign that the NBA is struggling to find the right formula, it has changed three times since 2018, while it was identical between 1951 and 2017. Between 2018 and 2024, the classic format of the two conferences had been deleted to mix all the players. Before returning to the old formula last year, then still to a news in 2025. “They let go, and now it has become difficult to manageregrets Jacques Monclar. Even if it is good to see all the players gathered, there must be a little more seriousness, because a collective sport can only really exist when there is opposition. “
For George Eddy, it is the players who are the first officials of this decrepitude of a previously enticing format: “If they do not play seriously, it has no interest. So it happens in the heads of the players. And what is sad is that we always come back to the fact that we must give them more money, more money, more money. And that ends up being disgusting“Concludes George Eddy.
Will the renewal come from Victor Wembanyama, who announced that he was not there “To make friends” ? “I hope to be able to bring contrast, by being the one who will throw himself on all the balloons, bring madness, make the efforts on each action. I will really try to bring this energy “, had advanced the Frenchman Wednesday.
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