Adam Silver Recognizes All-Star Game Should Be More Competitive

Adam Silver is willing to take responsibility for the lack of competitiveness in recent NBA All-Star Games. Silver said the league is going to make some changes to try and create a more competitive environment for the midseason exhibition.

Some of the changes will include shortening both pregame introductions and the halftime celebration. Silver said those came, in part, after a conversation with veteran All-Star Chris Paul.

Silver said Paul told him: “You guys tell us how important the All-Star Game is but then you change all our pregame protocols so that we don’t go through our typical routines as we would before a game because you have these elaborate introductions. No complaint about the introductions. We understand why you do it, but then you expect us then to go out and be in the mindset that we’re playing a typical basketball game.”

The changes will take place as soon as this year’s game in Indianapolis.

“We’re sending mixed signals. And if we want guys to treat this like a real game, and again, this is not about Finals intensity, it’s just a fun game,” Silver said. “But if we want players to treat it that way, we have to treat it that way. And so, it means that the introduction is going to have to be a little bit shorter and halftime’s going to have to be a little bit more typical, starting in Indianapolis.”