Over the last few years, the legitimacy of the NBA All-Star gamehasbeen called into question. No longer a must-see event where the best NBA players play an exhibition, but rather something to endure and not built with the same excitement it once was.
Nevertheless, NBA legend Dwyane Wadehas offered a solution to draw eyeballs to the All-Star game, per the Wy Network by Dwyane Wade podcast. Essentially, he argued thatthe gameshouldn't be held at the mid-point of the season, but after the season.
The template Wade mentioned is the Pro Bowl in the NFL, held at the end of the regular season.
“I don’t think we should stop and do theAll Star game inmiddle ofseason no more… I see thepro bowl,”Wade said. “TheAll Star game should be a trip, avacation”
Dwyane Wade thinks the NBA should do the All Star game at end of year like the NFL Pro Bowl
“I don’t think we should stop and do the All Star game in middle of season no more… I see the pro bowl. The All Star game should be a trip, a vacation”
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— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) December 2, 2025
The NBA All-Star Gameis scheduled for February 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. This year, the format willfeature a three-team, two-round, two-round-robin format. Additionally, the teams competing will be two U.S. teams and a “World”team.
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In the end, the teams will compete in four 12-minute games. Afterward, the top two teams will play in a championship game. Also, player selection for the game will notbe based on position.
The criticisms of the NBA All-Star Game
There is anabundance of criticism levied against the modern-day NBA All-Star Game. For instance, there have been criticisms about a lack of enthusiasm and intensity among the players.
If anything, it is seen as a vacation for the players to party and do promotional events on behalf of their sponsors.
Additionally, there are complaints about too many corporate sponsorships and too many commercials during the television broadcast. Also, the new formats have drawn confusion from fans.