The coaching staffs from the top two teams in the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conferences could direct the four groups of All-Stars in a new tournament competition being considered for the league’s annual midseason classic in San Francisco, two team officials told The Athletic Thursday.
As part of expansive negotiations under way between multiple stakeholders to dramatically change how the NBA All-Star Game looks, one issue to be ironed out is who coaches the up to four teams that might compete in a tournament-style competition on All-Star Sunday.
As The Athletic first reported earlier this month, the NBA is considering sweeping changes to its All-Star Game that would be implemented in February, following several years of a disappointing on-court product by the league’s top players.
A four-team tournament setting is likely, multiple league sources said, with three teams of eight NBA All-Stars and a fourth team of rookies and sophomores who win the Rising Stars Challenge on All-Star Friday. The format being strongly considered would match the Rising Stars format, in which teams would play to a target score of 40 in a tournament semifinal and 25 in the championship — both of which would be held on All-Star Sunday in lieu of a traditional East versus West All-Star Game with 12-minute quarters.
The league, players’ union, coaches and team executives are still ironing out all of the details, including prize money doled out to winners and losers of the tournament and how the teams are selected.
When it comes to who coaches the four teams, numerous league officials agree the coach of the top team in each respective conference will direct two of the four All-Star teams. According to two team officials with direct knowledge of league discussions to this point, staffs from the top two teams in each conference could be involved on All-Star Sunday, but other league sources said that option had not been discussed with all stakeholders.
In another scenario being discussed, the coach of the Rising Stars team that advances from Friday’s competition to Sunday would retain its coach – likely an assistant from one of the top two NBA teams’ staffs – and it was unknown who the coach of the third All-Star team might be.
As of Thursday, Kenny Atkinson has the Cleveland Cavaliers in first place in the East, with the best overall record in the NBA. The top team in the West is the Golden State Warriors, coached by Steve Kerr. The second place team in the East is the Boston Celtics, coached by Joe Mazzulla, and the second place team in the West is the Oklahoma City Thunder, coached by Mark Daigneault.
Under the league’s new collective bargaining contract with the players’ union, players on the winning team at the All-Star Game would receive $100,000 and players on the losing side would receive $25,000. However, that agreement was struck before the league began serious discussions with players – including, notably, perennial All-Star and likely host for the 2025 game, Stephen Curry – about changing the format.
If the Rising Stars format is adopted for the NBA All-Star Game, as expected, there would be more than one losing team.
(Photo of Jalen Brunson and Anthony Davis at the 2024 All-Star Game: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
