With the NBA All Star Game coming to Los Angeles next season, Jeanie Buss revealed her idea to make the game competitive.
The All Star Game is a great event but it has lost most of it's luster over the past decade or so. All Star Saturday Night usually overtakes the actual game as the most anticipated event over All Star Weekend. Maybe it's time for some change to the all star format.
Some people have suggested a U.S.-vs-World format but that would force potential all star snubs. Making the game meaningful by putting something on the line (a la MLB's decision to base World Series home field advantage on the results of their all star game) won't work either. In an interview with Fanhouse, Lakers Executive VP of Business Operations Jeanie Buss gave an interesting suggestion that would really add some intrigue to the NBA All Star Game...
"I would do something really crazy with the All Star Game. This is something I've thought about a lot. I would like to see the fans vote for all the all stars. Then you put them in a pool, and you take the two coaches and they draft the team right there, kind of like you used to do on a schoolyard. It wouldn't have anything to do with (East vs. West), it would just be all all stars, and then the coaches would decide which players they would take."
Now, this would be great. Seeing the greatest basketball players in the world in a line anxiously awaiting to hear their name called would certainly be interesting. This would definitely humanize them, if nothing else. Watching whoever has the pick choose between Kobe Bryant and Lebron James might be even more interesting than the game.
How would it feel to be the last picked? Certainly, there has to be some level of pride on the line despite being matched up with the best. Imagine how Kobe would play if he was not the first pick. This would definitely make for some great TV, especially when you add the remarks Charles Barkley would be saying while all this is unfolding.
This a great idea but fan voting should be eliminated. The fans rarely get the starting lineups correct and such a great honor should only be determined by basketball experts. What changes do you think would enhance the NBA all star experience?
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