Fixing the NBA All-Star Game

From Magic Johnson's return to greatness in 1992, to Kobe and Shaq reuniting in 2009, and Lebron James claiming the All-Star Game MVP at just 21 years old, NBA All-Star Weekend has given fans countless spectacular moments. While there is no shortage of star power or talent on the court, it seems as though the mid-season event has lost a great deal of its significance, particularly over the last decade or so as players do not seem to be willing to give 100% in a game with no real importance. Though the NBA has a plethora of issues among declining ratings, the All-Star game is only one minor shakeup away from regaining its luster.

In recent years the NBA has tried numerous new, and at times strange, formats to add much needed competitiveness to the event. The league has done away with the East vs West format on some occasions and is even attempting a four team All-Star tournament this season. Though for the most serious basketball fans some of these formats have added intrigue, the fresh concepts seem to be missing with casual fans. If the NBA really wants to shake things up and add a feeling of real importance to the game, they would be smart to adopt a rule once used by Major League Baseball where the winning league secures home court advantage in the Finals. With this, combined with Conference seeding being determined by regular season record, the NBA could keep the importance of regular season games intact while significantly spicing up All-Star Weekend.

Picture this for a moment, an All-Star game deadlocked part way through the fourth quarter where all the players on the court are representing championship contending teams and battling it out for a real prize. The prize, like stated earlier, is home court advantage for whichever conference comes out on top. This may seem like a minor wrinkle in the game with no individual player guaranteed to even play in the NBA finals, but keep in mind that approximately 73% of teams with home court advantage have gone on to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. Players on top notch teams know the importance of playing Finals games at home. Not only are you playing in front of your own fans, preparing in your own locker room and sleeping in your own bed, but it also cuts down on travel and days spent away from family. The tactic worked in the MLB after the All-Star game became less and less competitive, and doing away with the format in 2017 was a major blow to the event.

When it comes to drawing viewers, the most important thing is having the players on the court giving their best effort. I would like to believe that the league's biggest stars would be willing to go the extra mile just to put on a good show for the fans, but anyone who has watched an All-Star game in recent years knows that is simply not the case, as the game has devolved into a low effort pickup game with very little defense being played and combined scores ending up in the 400s. These athletes are all chasing rings, and adding in the promise of a tangible advantage in the Finals could be just the incentive some of the best players need to give it their all.

John Siebels is the owner of Springhill Sports Cards, he collects and sells sports cards on Ebay, you can find him on Instagram and his Ebay store here