Caitlin Clark echoes $194,219,320 NBA superstar's sentiments, makes her feelings clear on NBA's new All-Star Game format

Caitlin Clark shared her thoughts on the NBA's newly introduced All-Star Game format, set to debut this season. The 2025 All-Star Game is scheduled for Feb. 16 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Aiming to heighten excitement, enhance the viewing experience and boost competition among players, the league has implemented this innovative format to revamp the event.

Several NBA stars, including the Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant and the Lakers' Anthony Davis, have expressed their dissatisfaction with the newly introduced All-Star Game format.

During an appearance on Travis and Jason Kelce's podcast, "New Heights," Caitlin Clark was asked for her thoughts on the revamped format. The WNBA's reigning Rookie of the Year made her stance clear, aligning herself with Durant's perspective.

On the episode published on Thursday, Clark emphasized that the traditional East vs. West format remains the best approach for fostering true competition in the All-Star Game.

"So I saw Kevin Durant said this...that they should go back to the East vs. West and that's when I loved it," Clark said. "I think it should be East vs. West like that's true All-Stars."

Durant, currently on a four-year, $194,219,320 contract, previously voiced strong criticism of the new All-Star Game format, openly stating that he "hates" it.

"I hate it. I absolutely hate it," Durant said. "All the formats are terrible in my opinion and we should just go back to East-West and just play a game.

"I think we’ve been trying to bring that flare back somehow with the All-Star Weekend, but I think we just keep it traditional. We’ll see how this one works, you never know. I might be wrong. I’m just another guy with an opinion, but we’ll see how it works."

Caitlin Clark in 2025 NBA All-Star Game?

The 2024 All-Star Game featured a thrilling 3-point shooting contest between NBA superstar Steph Curry and WNBA standout Sabrina Ionescu. This special event was introduced to reinvigorate excitement around the NBA All-Star Game, which has struggled to capture fan interest in recent years.

Earlier in the year, NBA insider Shams Charania revealed plans for a 2-v-2 shooting showdown during the 2024 All-Star Weekend, featuring NBA and WNBA players, including Curry and Ionescu.

Recently, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu was asked who she would choose as her partner if a 2-v-2 showdown were to take place during the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. Without hesitation, the WNBA champion named Caitlin Clark as her ideal teammate.

"I mean, if I had to choose, I would take Caitlin Clark on my team," Ionescu said on Big Ten Network's "Big Ten Tailgate" show.

Although there’s no official confirmation about whether a special 2-v-2 shooting contest will be included in the All-Star Game, its potential inclusion would undoubtedly generate significant excitement among fans, particularly if Clark is involved.