Strike 2: Adam Silver and the folks around him have finally seen the light.
They are set to join the rest of the world and leave meaningless and non-competitive exhibition games behind.
It’s no secret that self-contained exhibitions like the NBA All-Star game no longer hold the interest of the viewing (and paying) public, regardless of the gimmick format de jure. Fans want actual competition, and NBA stars randomly tossed together for a glorified pickup game don’t offer much of that. Commissioner Silver and his people had to be hit over the head with that fact, but they’ve finally agreed that what matters most these days, other than actually chasing a ring, is playing for your country.
Silver appears to agree. Next February, we should finally get Team USA vs. Team World for one special night.
LeBron, Steph, KD, Ant Man, Haliburton and AD vs. Joker, Shea, Giannis, Luca, Wemby and Jamal, we can hope.
Most importantly, they’ll be trying to win, especially the Americans, who will be singularly playing for the Red, White and Blue. And Team USA won’t be the favorite.
Everyone loves international competition during the Olympics of course, but even outside of that, international team competitions, regardless of the sport, garner the interest of even casual fans. And you don’t have to love to watch golf to follow the Ryder Cup, for example. Heck, when it was actually a thing, the America’s Cup yacht races were something to see.
Then there’s soccer’s World Cup of course. Watched by millions upon millions, even if it’s not the biggest deal in the USA.
Among our four major sports, the World Baseball Classic and last February’s Four Nations hockey tournament energize fans (and sponsors). Even the NFL has figured out that being part of the Olympics with the addition of Flag Football as a sport in 2028 will be more beneficial than the tragically non-competitive postseason Pro Bowl.
And players like Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II have already gotten on board.
Sure, there was a time when the NFL Pro Bowl and the NBA All-Star game was must-see TV. When the Western Conference All-Stars wanted to beat the Eastern Conference All-Stars simply for bragging rights. It mattered.
Then it didn’t.
In hoops, did that coincide with the larger influx of international players? Around the time the biggest influx began, and the world started watching more closely, exhibition games appeared to start to matter less. Risking bigger and bigger paychecks in a game that doesn’t count mattered a lot too, of course. But that all changes when they’re playing for national pride. That’s always mattered, regardless.
It took a while, but the NBA has finally taken notice. While the Olympics continue to build an international fan base for the game, it can’t be the only time Team USA faces more than middling competition. The US continues to dominate in the Olympics, because the best foreign players come for several different nations. But by teaming up the rest of the world, in the same way that the Ryder Cup teams up the best players from all over Europe, you tip the scales to the international team. Since the format was adjusted in 1979, the US team has only won nine Ryder Cups, with Europe winning or retaining the Cup 13 times.
With Silver and Company finally embracing the USA vs. The World All-Star game format, fans, and the players, can get an every-year chance to put national pride – in a game invented right here in America – on display.
Strike 2: USA vs. The World is what the NBA All-Star format needs Mile High Sports.
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