NBA All-Star Teams No Longer East vs. West

In the past, NBA All-Star teams would be chosen based on the conference: Eastern or Western. Now, ESPN has reported that the format for choosing All-Star teams is set to change. Two captains will be able to pick their teams no matter what conference the player is from, and the players who get the most fan votes from each conference will serve as the captains of each team.

Voting for the new system will begin on Christmas day, and will allow teammates to possibly go against each other if they are chosen for the opposing team. The starters for each team will be chosen first, so the first 10 players who are picked by fans will be the starters. Overall, 12 players will be chosen from the Eastern and Western conference. The fan vote is worth 50 percent, the player’s vote is worth 25 percent, and the media vote is worth 25 percent. Each conference’s head coach will choose seven reserves for each squad.

According to ESPN, the change was pushed by the league and the players’ union, with Chris Paul being at the center of the decision. Chris Paul commented on the change, saying, “I’m thrilled with what the players and the league have done to improve the All-Star Game, which has been a priority for all of us. We’re looking forward to putting on an entertaining show in L.A.”