Why did NBA All-Star return to Eastern vs Western conference format for 2024? Understanding critical move made by Adam Silver

The NBA All-Star Game is returning to its traditional East vs. West format. The game will also go back to traditional scoring rules. The decision was announced at the beginning of this season. The game will feature stars like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and more. It tips off on Sunday at 8 pm in Indianapolis.

After receiving fan concerns over the previously utilized Elam ending, Adam Silver and the NBA opted to return to the old way. The earlier model had a defined target score that teams aimed to achieve. For example, the game ends when the first team reaches 200 points.

Now the game will be back to a regular basketball format where the team with the most points at the end of four quarters wins.

The NBA wanted to honor the deep basketball roots in the state of Indiana. This was one of the main reasons to return to the traditional format. Indianapolis will host the game for the first time since 1985.

What are the rules for the 2024 NBA All-Star game?

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be East vs. West. Twelve players were selected from each conference.

The game will feature four 12-minute quarters as usual. The timing rules will be the same, unlike the previous untimed fourth quarters in the past few All-Star games.

The teams will still compete for charities. When a team wins the quarter, they will receive a donation to a charity of their choice.

The teams are no longer selected playground draft style. The players will be voted in by fans and media members and will play for their respective conferences.

There will still be team captains. The captain will be the player with the highest fan votes. LeBron James will lead the West, while Giannis Amtetokounmpo will lead the East.

The game will air on TNT in the United States. It will also be broadcast in more than 20 countries and territories around the world as part of one of the largest broadcasts in the NBA calendar. The game will be announced in more than 50 languages around the world.

For the East side, starters will be Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum. For the West, starters will be LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.

The NBA All-Star East reserves will consist of Paolo Banchero, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey and Donovan Mitchell. Scottie Barnes and Trae Young will replace injured Julius Randle and Joel Embiid.

The NBA All-Star West bench will have Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry and Devin Booker.