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The NBA’s 2025 All-Star festivities are in the books following a weekend that drew mixed reviews.
All-Star Weekend had its moments this year, with Orlando Magic guard Mac McClung putting on another show in the Slam Dunk Contest, but the weekend certainly left some fans yearning for how All-Star festivities used to be in the NBA.
According to a report, one idea that has been discussed for All-Star Weekend next year is a one-on-one event.
“The upstart Unrivaled league recently held a one-on-one tournament, won by cofounder Napheesa Collier for a $200,000 grand prize,” wrote Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. “One spy told FOS that a $1 million prize has been discussed for a one-on-one event at NBA All-Star Weekend.”
Front Office Sports indicated that the idea was being discussed before Sunday’s All-Star Game even began.
It isn’t entirely clear whether the one-on-one event would serve as the main course at All-Star Weekend or if it would just be a supporting act. However, if the NBA were to lean into it, the league could probably market it as the new main event.
Having $1 million on the line would be quite an incentive for players to take the competition seriously, and something about one-on-one basketball often makes players turn things up a notch from a competitive standpoint. The stakes are high when there is pride on the line.
Sunday’s All-Star Game featured a tournament format. It included four teams, three made up of All-Stars and one made up of Rising Stars. It was essentially a single-elimination tournament between the four teams, with two of the squads advancing to face off in the final game for this year’s All-Star crown.
In the end, “Shaq’s OGs” won the tournament. The squad featured veterans like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and more.
If the NBA does try a one-on-one event in the future, player participation would likely be key to fan interest. Certainly, the event would draw more eyeballs if it featured some of the game’s top stars. If lesser-known players were the only ones participating, it would likely have less zip. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it wouldn’t be fun anyway.
As the league continues to explore ways to revitalize All-Star Weekend, it will be worth keeping an eye on some of the ideas that get thrown around.
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