The NBA announced Tuesday that there will be a reform to this year’s All-Star game, as two captains will now draft rosters as opposed to it being the traditional East vs. West.
The two captains will be the two players with the most fan votes, and 12 players from each conference will still be playing as five players from each conference will be selected as starters with fan vote being worth 50 percent, and player and media vote accounting for 25 percent each. Seven reserves for each team will be picked by each conference’s head coaches.
But the players voted as starters may not necessarily start the game, as that will depend on where they are drafted by the captains. The game is set to take place on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
In a press release by the NBA, player’s union president Chris Paul commented on the reform, saying they are looking forward to putting on a show for the fans.
“I’m thrilled with what the players and the league have done to improve the All-Star Game, which has been a priority for all of us,” Paul said. “We’re looking forward to putting on an entertaining show in L.A.”
The league’s president of league operations Byron Spruell is also happy about the reform. “We’re excited about the new All-Star format and appreciate the players’ willingness to try something new,” Spruell said.
They have also decided to put a bigger focus on charity for this year’s game, as each team will select a national or Los Angeles-area charity where donations from the game will go towards.
With a new format, there will be an added layer of fun to this year’s game, as fans will get to see who the players pick in the draft and possibly could see teammates playing against each other in the game.