What can the NBA do to save all-star weekend?

For many years, the NBA all-star game has been looked at as a way for the league to market its players and product not only to loyal NBA fans but also to casual fans and those who don’t watch the NBA at all. The all-star game itself is an opportunity to watch 24 of the best basketball players in the world compete at a high level against one another. However, this is sadly not the case. While 24 of the best players in the world are playing in a game together, it would be far-fetched to say the game is more competitive than the 5th run at your local YMCA, with players throwing up full-court shots in the first half, each team just launching uncontested threes, and absolutely zero defense and minimal effort being displayed. Even with an uncompetitive game, the NBA can still rely on their Saturday night events of the three-point contest and the heralded dunk contest, right? Well, while the three-point contest continues to be the bright spot of all-star weekend, the dunk contest has been a massive area of debate, especially since the magical 2016 year with Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon. Since then, fans have voiced their displeasure with the stars of the NBA not participating in the dunk contest, and G-League players filling their spots. While players such as Mac McClung have performed well, the contest has the potential to market the top athletic stars in the league but instead involves players that the common fan will not know. This all leads to the question: What should the NBA do to fix NBA all-star weekend to successfully market their product and players?

The three-point contest is the highlight of the weekend, with star players like Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, and Trae Young participating. This year featured a special three-point event with Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu, the best NBA shooter vs. the best WNBA shooter. This event sparked a lot of conversation online, and was a hit that helped market both leagues and helps put a shine on the WNBA, and increase its overall target audience, which statistically is not as big as the NBA, but is growing, with visible efforts from the NBA over the years to help market the WNBA brand and its players. The question marks remain with the dunk contest and the all-star game itself.?

In the past years, we have seen the NBA experiment with new ideas for the all-star game. For a few years, the captains drafted from the pool of all-stars on live TV, creating fun social media moments. However, it did not affect the lack of caring on the court during the game. They also tried implementing the Elam Ending. The first year it was implemented, the competition did rise. However, I would argue that had more to do with the recent death of Kobe Bryant that year, and the players all wanting to be the first to win the MVP award named after him and perform at a high level in the game that Kobe always put up a show in. Since then the play has reverted to where it once was. They have given financial incentives to the winners of events. However, this has not seemed to make a difference either. The majority of the star players are making $30 million +, so what is an extra $100,000 to them that could potentially jeopardize their chances of making All-NBA which can potentially lead to them reaching a bonus of up to $50 million on their next supermax contract. Also, the NBA introduced a new rule that players must compete in at least 65 games to qualify for any postseason awards. So again, why is it worth it to put 100% effort into a meaningless game? The NBA staff at The Athletic attempted to come up with ideas to “save all-star weekend”.

Among the many ideas presented, one that stood out was changing from an all-star game to a 1-on-1 tournament. You would still select all-stars, but they will be placed in a mini-tournament that presents an overall winner. This could help the NBA to market the individual talents and personalities of the players. Another idea was to simply treat the game like any other. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a player who has the same routine each game. When it comes to the all-star game, however, “Antetokounmpo got on the floor 90 minutes before the game, and he wasn’t supposed to touch a basketball. Instead, he was supposed to stand still and listen to instructions during the rehearsal for the Eastern Conference team’s pregame introductions” (The Athletic Staff, 2024). If you want the players to take the game seriously, take the lead-up to the game seriously, instead of worrying about little things like this. Another suggestion is to tap into your corporate partnership relationships as the NBA and have sponsors that provide a larger paycheck for the winning team members in the all-star game. Lastly, an interesting “Willy Wonka” concept was discussed allowing passionate NBA fans to win tickets to the game, potentially helping the overall environment of the weekend, providing more passionate fans of the product.

Why does this matter? Why should the NBA care about the all-star game? Well, frankly this game/weekend is one of the main marketers of their product and players. The all-star game takes place soon after the Super Bowl, so all focus is on basketball in America. When given an opportunity to reach new consumer markets, you want to market your product to show the best of it, right? This is what the NBA must do. Another reason why the NBA needs to figure out their all-star weekend issues is the fact that they are currently marketing their product to future TV partners. As I discussed in an earlier article, the NBA is in the process of finding their future TV partner, looking to at least double their current deal. If they truly want to reach this goal, the all-star weekend can be the perfect opportunity to market their product to the likes of Fox, ESPN, Amazon, etc. to show the true value of their brand and product. The marketing of all-star weekend, and being able to put your stars on display at a high level of competition, is key to the future success of the event, and will play a large role in the future business of the NBA.?

The Athletic NBA Staff (2024, February 20). How can the NBA fix the all-star game? Our writers share their ideas. The Athletic. https://theathletic.com/5286634/2024/02/20/nba-all-star-game-changes/?

What is the elam ending?. TBT and TST. (2023, September 8). https://thetournament.com/tbt/elam-ending/?