Huge Win!' Bill Simmons Praises NBA All-Star Game's Resurgence After Years of Lackluster Performances

"Earlier that evening, the NBA debuted a new format pitting American players against international ones. All-Stars were split into three teams: one consisting of young American stars, another consisting of veteran Americans, and a third made up of the NBA's best foreign-born players. Teams played one another across three games in a round-robin tournament, and the two best teams to come out of that played in a championship game."

"Each game was a single, 12-minute quarter. Thanks to the urgency of each game being just a single quarter, play was noticeably more competitive. Although the championship game, which was played between the young American stars and the veterans, was a lopsided one, the round-robin games all came down to the wire with exciting finishes. Simmons gave the experiment two thumbs up. I thought it was, a huge win for a league that needed a win this weekend, Simmons said on his podcast."

"Simmons's guest, NBA analyst Zach Lowe, agreed. I love USA versus the world, Lowe said. Nailed it. Don't need to change that. Clearly, the game was better. There's just no question. It, it was a pretty competitive basketball game. There were fouls, there was physicality, all of that. In recent years, the NBA and its players have faced harsh criticism for the clear lack of effort in recent All-Star games."

The NBA tested a new All-Star format that split players into three teams: young American stars, veteran Americans, and top foreign-born players. Teams faced each other in a round-robin of three single, 12-minute quarters, with the two best teams advancing to a championship game. The short-quarters format increased urgency and produced noticeably more competitive play, with round-robin games finishing closely despite a lopsided championship. Prominent commentators reacted positively, calling the format a success and an improvement over recent All-Star shows. The league has experimented with formats to counter criticism about lack of effort in prior All-Star games.

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