Basketball as a game is always evolving, and the NBA as a league is always shifting. Many critiques have been made regarding these changes, and today, the veteran of all veteran players, LeBron James, has entered the conversation.
The NBA All-Star Game Gets a Makeover
Earlier this season, the NBA announced a brand-new format to their highly scrutinized All-Star Game which will take place on February 16, 2025, in the San Francisco Bay Area. This new format would abolish the battle of the conferences — East versus West — and replace the single game with a 3-game mini tournament. These changes come after the poor fan reception of last year’s All-Star Game which ended with the Eastern Conference winning in outrageous fashion following a stat line of 186-211. The game as a whole brought in lots of skepticism regarding a wide range of things from player efforts to the importance of an All-Star celebration in general.
Many people, including multiple NBA players, have spoken out against the new All-Star Game format. Phoenix Suns forward and 14-time All-Star Kevin Durant went as far to say he “absolutely hate[s] it.”
LeBron James Calls for a Larger Conversation Regarding the League
As for LeBron James, his thoughts on this season’s All-Star Game seems to be a reflection of his thoughts on the modern NBA as a whole.
“We gotta do something,” said James, “obviously, the last couple of years have not been a great All-Star Game… It’s a bigger conversation; it’s not just the All-Star Game… Our game, there’s a lot of f—ing 3s being shot. So, it’s a bigger conversation than just the All-Star Game.”
LeBron James holds the most All-Star appearances as well as most consecutive All-Star appearances in league history with 20 appearances in his 22 seasons with the NBA. The Lakers superstar has not only seen the league in different stages, not only experienced them firsthand, but actively shaped it with his play. Whether the new All-Star Game format will remedy any critiques or not has yet to be determined but take it from the words of LeBron James itself to illustrate the differences between the game of present, the game of the past, and possibly, the game of the future.