The Big Lead

Stephen A. Smith explains how NBA All-Star Game might get scrapped

The NBA All-Star game will undergo a drastic change to its format, and Stephen A. Smith thinks it might eventually lead to the concept being scrapped.

By Divij Kulkarni

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith on the ESPN First Take set at the CFP Fan Central at the George World Congress Center.
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith on the ESPN First Take set at the CFP Fan Central at the George World Congress Center. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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The NBA's All-Star game has been struggling in recent years, constantly receiving a lot of criticism from fans and media members alike. A lack of effort from the superstars has been cited as a major issue, and the 2025 edition did nothing to help change that narrative.

The league has taken note of this and is making changes. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced a significant change regarding the All-Star Game. Starting next season, it will be played in a Team USA vs. Team World format. And Stephen A. Smith thinks it could be a slippery slope.

RELATED: NBA commissioner Adam Silver announces massive NBA All-Star Game change

“If this doesn't work, I think you're going to see the NBA do away with All-Star weekend," Smith said on ESPN. "And this era of players will forever be stained for the rest of their lives because All-Star weekend was banished because of a lack of effort.”

Those are strong words from Smith, and not everyone agrees with this take. NBA star Kevin Durant took to X to announce his verdict on Stephen A.'s words, calling him dramatic for making such a bold statement.

Whatever may happen in terms of the game itself, scrapping it hardly sounds feasible. It is one of the main honors that players in the league try to achieve every season, and it has been a legendary tradition for the league.

While it's true that players need to put in more effort, this opinion from ESPN's biggest talking head can safely be taken as hyperbole.

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