The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be significantly different than its past five previous editions. In 2018, the league revamped the said event after fans wanted more fun and excitement from players. From East vs. West, the process was changed into two captains picking from a pool of 24 players. The captains alternated picks beginning with the starter group before going to the reserves.
For next year, the league just announced major changes. Diehard basketball fans will be quite familiar with the tweak to the said mid-season game. Here’s the announcement from the NBA Communications department:
“The NBA All-Star Game will feature the return of both classic matchup between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference and the traditional scoring system with four 12-minute quarters. The voting process to determine the NBA All-Stars will remain the same, with 12 players.”
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The announcement continued:
“While the NBA All-Star Game will no longer have an untimed fourth quarter or conclude when one team reaches or surpasses the Final Target Score, the teams will continue to compete to win each quarter for a charitable organization of their choosing.”
In 2020, the league adopted its version of the “Elam Ending.” The All-Star Game winner was determined by a target score and not by a running clock in the fourth quarter. During the first three periods, the 12-minute style was still followed but the score went back to 0 at the start of every quarter.
The cumulative score of every quarter, however, played a huge role in the final period. The NBA had been using 174 as the target score with the first team hitting or surpassing the mark winning the game.
Basketball fans who had trouble understanding the scoring system over the past few years will be happy with the recent changes. A more traditional style of winning games will be implemented for next year’s NBA All-Star Game.
Favorites to be named to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game
While the league made major changes to the All-Star game, the names that could make the said event could still be familiar. LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid should be shoo-ins.
The fans (50%), players (25%) and select media members (25%) will vote for the players. The popularity of the aforementioned names almost guarantees they will be playing in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
Newcomers could add freshness and vibrancy to the game. San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama could crack the team in his first season. Blake Griffin (2011) was the last rookie to be named an All-Star. Before him, Yao Ming accomplished the same feat in 2003. “Wemby” might be the latest to join that enviable group.
