NBA tries third All-Star format in four years with new tournament

The new format splits players into three squads: veteran American All-Stars called “Stripes,” younger U.S. players dubbed “Stars,” and international players representing the rest of the world. The teams will play 12-minute round-robin games at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome, with the top two advancing to a final.

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama believes the international angle could spark genuine competition. “We’ve seen that many of the best players have been increasingly foreign players, so there is some pride on that side,” Wembanyama said Saturday. “I think anything that gets closer to representing a country brings up the pride.”

Not everyone shares his optimism. Clippers star Kawhi Leonard prefers the traditional approach. “With the teams split up, you don’t really know who you’re playing with or what the score is,” Leonard said. “I’d rather it just be East and West, and just go out there and compete and see what the outcome is. I don’t think a format can make you compete.”

Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards offered a blunter assessment: “Yeah, it is what it is at this point.”

The tournament takes place at the Clippers’ $2 billion Intuit Dome, which opened 18 months ago in Inglewood. The World team features a formidable lineup with Wembanyama, Lakers star Luka Doncic and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

However, the roster divisions blur under scrutiny. Miami’s Norman Powell, a California native who represents Jamaica internationally, joins the World team alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, a New Jersey-born player who competes for the Dominican Republic.

Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who will lead the younger American team, expects his players to compete seriously. “I’ve had conversations with our guys and our guys are coming to play,” Bickerstaff said. “They’re going to set a tone.”

The format change follows a tumultuous period for the All-Star Game. The NBA abandoned its traditional East vs. West format in 2018, allowing captains to draft teams for six seasons before briefly returning to conference play. Last year’s four-team tournament in San Francisco drew mixed reactions, though Warriors star Steph Curry won MVP honors at Chase Center.

Injuries have depleted this year’s rosters. Curry will miss only his third All-Star Game in 13 years, while the World team loses Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Lakers star LeBron James will play despite injury concerns in his record 21st All-Star appearance.

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, making his second All-Star appearance, has yet to experience the traditional format he grew up watching. “I grew up just wanting to be in the All-Star Game, and my only two years now, it’s been these different formats,” Cunningham said. “I would like to experience the East versus West.”