In late November, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the NBA was considering tweaking the 2025 All-Star Game into a tournament of four teams, which would be pickup style and include players who are traditional Eastern and Western Conference All-Stars, as well as players who are in the winning team of the Rising Stars Challenge participate. The Rising Stars Challenge is played on the Friday before the All-Star Game on Sunday.
As Washington Wizards fans, I think you, me, our mothers, our pets, pests like the annoying mice in our basements, AND the cockroaches who spoil our kitchens all know this: the Wizards will almost definitely NOT have an Eastern Conference All-Star in the 2024-25 season. After all, they are 3-19 this season, by far the worst in the NBA standings.
On social media and on traditional television shows, pundits are bashing this proposed All-Star Game format. I get why: the All-Stars in the game are just there for a glorified pickup game. It should just be a simple East vs. West format. And why is the NBA trying to fix an event that isn’t broken, even if there is no semblance of defense for most of the game?
But here’s where things get interesting for us as Wizards fans. Washington’s best chance for any meaningful exposure during All-Star Weekend will be during the Rising Stars Challenge. Bilal Coulibaly made the team last year.
This season, Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington should have a decent shot of making the Rising Stars Challenge, as well as Coulibaly. So with a new tournament format involving the Rising Stars, there’s a chance that Wizards players will get a chance to show what they can do on the national and global stage on All-Star Sunday. Of course, they would have to make that challenge and THEN win that game. But still.
While I am generally a traditionalist with All-Star Games, I’m willing to see a tournament this year for my self interest. What about you all? Sound off in the comments below.