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The NBA’s All-Star weekend is meant to be a celebration for the league’s brightest stars. However, it’s been a rather forgettable event in recent years. The league has tried to make changes to bring back the excitement, but the 2025 event was met with massive disapproval. Whether it was the wonky four-team tournament, the star-less Dunk Contest, or the countless in-game delays, the All-Star Weekend wasn’t a good viewing experience for NBA fans.
There are more changes the NBA can make to improve the event. Let’s take a look at five ways the NBA can fix All-Star weekend:
1. Bring Back The East vs. West Format
The NBA tried something new with the four-team tournament this year. From 2018-2023, two captains selected teams. We saw the traditional East/West game return for one year in 2024, and we think going back to that is the right move. Pitting the two conferences against one another adds more allure to the game. The stakes feel higher when the players represent their respective conferences rather than playing under the name of a fellow All-Star. “Team LeBron or “Team Durant” doesn’t have the same feeling as an “East vs. West” matchup. That also leads us to fix No. 2…
2. Winner Gets Home Court Advantage in the NBA Finals
There have been countless ideas on how to improve the overall play in the All-Star Game. The only way to get a more competitive game is to raise the stakes. Put home-court advantage in the NBA Finals on the line. Quite frankly, the way home court is determined now isn’t any better of a solution. Comparing the regular season record between two teams that played completely different schedules isn’t perfect. So, let’s leave it to the All-Stars to decide.
One issue that may arise from this is All-Stars from weaker teams having no real incentive. However, this shouldn’t be a big problem. The coaches for each All-Star team will have a lot on the line, as they are usually represented by the No. 1 seed from each conference (teams most likely to make the NBA Finals). They’ll divide playing time to the players they believe give them the best chance at winning.
3. Add a 1-on-1 Tournament
Why stop at just Sunday’s All-Star game? Let’s revamp the entire weekend. And, the most requested event that fans have clamored for over the years is a true one-on-one tournament to determine the best isolation player in the NBA. It wouldn’t be the first time the NBA has attempted such an event. In 1972 and ’73, the NBA held a 16-player, single-elimination, one-on-one tournament that occurred during halftime of the NBA Finals. Over 50 years later, it’s time for the NBA to try again.
4. All 30 Teams in the 3PT Contest
The 3PT Contest has become the main attraction during All-Star weekend. Let’s make it even bigger. Instead of the typical 8-man format, allow all 30 teams to send one representative to the competition. Open up both sides of the court and have two players shooting at the same time to save time. Once the pool gets trimmed down to eight contestants, revert to players shooting solo. This would give fans of every team a chance to cheer for one of their players.
5. Add Stars to the Dunk Contest
This is the trickiest change, as it comes down to the willingness of the NBA’s top stars to compete. The Dunk Contest field this year was comprised of two rookies, a sophomore, and a G-Leaguer. Jaylen Brown was the first All-Star to enter the Dunk Contest in years. We saw Donovan Mitchell, Zach Lavine, and even John Wall compete before they established themselves as top players.
