Adam Silver sees path to more competitive NBA All-Star Game - ESPN

SAN FRANCISCO — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday he will «take responsibility» for the lack of intensity apparent in recent NBA All-Star Games — a realization he came to after speaking with 13-time All-Star Chris Paul.

Silver, speaking to ESPN's Andscape, said Paul recently pointed out to him all of the pregame and halftime distractions of the All-Star Game that interfere with the players' normal game-day routines.

As Paul put it, according to Silver: «You guys tell us how important the All-Star Game is but then you change all our pregame protocols so that we don't go through our typical routines as we would before a game because you have these elaborate introductions. No complaint about the introductions. We understand why you do it, but then you expect us then to go out and be in the mindset that we're playing a typical basketball game.»

Silver said Paul also cited the extended halftime, which is several minutes longer than usual to account for game entertainment.

«So that's why I say, I'll take responsibility for that,» Silver told Andscape. «We're sending mixed signals. And if we want guys to treat this like a real game, and again, this is not about Finals intensity, it's just a fun game. But if we want players to treat it that way, we have to treat it that way. And so, it means that the introduction is going to have to be a little bit shorter and halftime's going to have to be a little bit more typical, starting in Indianapolis.»

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be held Feb. 18 at the Indiana Pacers' Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Silver said there will be less fanfare during pregame introductions and at halftime to give the players a more normal game experience in hopes of better effort.

At the 2023 NBA All-Star