As the NBA world continues to react to the 2025 All-Star Game and its new tournament-style format, 2008 Boston Celtics champion Eddie House shared his take on how the NBA can fix its midseason showcase. While a group of the 2025 All-Stars reacted to the new format with primarily positive reviews, analysts and commentators continue brainstorming ideas that will trigger players to deliver a competitive event in 2026.
House discussed his ideas for the next All-Star game with retired NBA players Quentin Richardson and Mike Bibby, per the Straight Game podcast.
“[There] needs to be incentives like every quarter, everything. Who leads in steals? You get some money for taking a charge, whatever,” House said. “I don’t want to say take a charge because that could get mother f****** hurt out there. Ain’t nobody is taking a charge in the All-Star Game.”
Is money for players reaching specific statistical categories the best incentive for the All-Star Game to be as competitive as it once was?
“I would think so,” House replied. “I mean, what else would?”
To House, Bibby suggested the NBA implement the MLB’s approach to granting home-court advantage in the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format.
“Yeah, but think about this: you might have only one guy on the team or two guys from the number-one seed,” House replied. “Then, you have the guy that they don’t even have a shot to make the f****** playoffs. From the East or from the West, they’re just happy to be in the All-Star Game. They know their team ain’t winning. So, they’re just out there having fun.”
While the ratings for the NBA All-Star Game were up from 2023’s showcase, which received one of the lowest ratings in NBA history, 2025 averaged 4.7 million viewers — down 13 percent from last year’s game.
Jayson Tatum reacts to new All-Star Game tournament format
Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum wasn’t opposed to the All-Star Game tournament’s format. However, he didn’t like its presentation and the breaks that came with it.
Tatum explained his take after Sunday’s tournament.
“The format was cool. I think the toughest part was that they stopped the game to do the presentation while we were halfway through it… It was tough to get back into it after that. Besides that, I thought it was cool. If they can just find a way to not have that long intermission between the game, I think it’ll be a lot better.”
Perhaps we’ll see minor tweaks in 2025, as the NBA’s tournament-style approach could be in play again next season.
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