It’s no secret that the NBA All-Star Games in recent years have lacked…well, everything. From lazy competition to lackluster games, the once-celebrated event has become rather monotonous – a formality of sorts. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has wanted a more competitive All-Star event for some time and has brought about the change finally after the All-Star teams combined to score a record 397 points — 211-186 was the final — in last season’s game at Indianapolis. A new mini-tournament format has been proposed for this year’s All-Star Game, where four teams of 8 players each shall battle it out in fast games up to 40-point totals. The first team to reach the total shall win and the two semi-final winners will meet in the All-Star final to play for ultimate glory. NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum also reinstated his belief in the new mini-tournament format to bring some much-needed change and excitement back to the storied All-Star weekend. “We knew very clearly that we needed to bring up a format that would be more engaging for the fans, and one that would showcase our best players in the league. This mini-tournament that we have arrived at is an attempt at doing the same,” Tatum stated in a roundtable conversation with international media on Monday. One major weapon that the NBA could utilize to do the same is the rise of international superstars. Players such as Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and many more have brought about a paradigm shift in modern times. They have increased the league’s global reach by elevating the level of competition by bringing diverse playing styles, and have influenced the development of basketball internationally, particularly in regions like Europe, Africa, and Asia, where these players originate from; essentially making the NBA a more global sport with a wider fan base. Tatum emphasized the undeniable impact international players continue to have and spoke about how the paradigm shift in competition can also act as a crowd-puller. “It’s no doubt that international players have well and truly made their mark in the league. I mean, look at Charles’ (Barkley) team. I thought it was interesting that 6 of the 8 players on his team are international. What I think the tournament now is going to do is allow fans to see the influence and skill set of the international players being pitted against some veterans and rising talents as well. I think it is going to create an interesting dynamic for the fans and it will certainly be entertaining as well,” Tatum stated. Yet another possible manner that change could be brought about potentially lies in changing how the All-Stars themselves are selected as well. For ages, the NBA has stuck to the format of giving the nod to three frontcourt and two backcourt players in their initial All-Star starters, a testament to constructing the perfect starting five. But with the ever-rising versatility of players to play multiple positions, it would not be a far cry to open up the playing field and throw the gauntlet out for the best and most popular players to get the nod to be an All-Star. When asked about the possibility of restructuring the All-Star selection process, Tatum stated that the NBA shall be open to entertaining such changes as well sometime in the future. “Potentially. We have made changes to the All-Star Game format over the years, and I think we will continue to look into it. It is interesting that certain players don’t fit into one particular role anymore, and they can switch between multiple positions. So, I think that making away with the now-standard rubric for selecting All-Stars is something we will look into. There is so much talent in our league right now,” Tatum replied. The All-Star Game is set to be played on February 16 in San Francisco.