The NBA is in serious discussions on a new tournament-style format for the 2025 All-Star Game, consisting of three All-Star teams of eight players each and the winner of the Rising Stars game, sources told ESPN on Friday.
League officials discussed the new format Friday with the competition committee consisting of governors, team executives, players, coaches and union personnel, sources said.
The four teams would face each other in matchups — for instance, Team 1 versus Team 3 and Team 2 versus Team 4 — and the winners move on to the final round of the tournament.
NBA team executives, coaches and players have discussed new All-Star Game concepts with league officials over the past six months, including extensive conversations at the summer league in Las Vegas in July. There have been discussions for a fresh and creative path forward for the All-Star Game, and this quick-burst, four-team tourney among the game’s greatest players gained momentum among all parties, according to sources.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, the face of the host 2025 All-Star city in the Bay Area, has joined several All-Stars with input in this year’s event, sources said.
Curry and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty…
