After the somewhat shocking success that was the NBA's revamped All-Star Game, the league and broadcast partner NBC are said to be considering changes to another piece of the weekend, as well: All-Star Saturday.
According to Front Office Sports, NBC is already pitching ideas to NBA leadership on how to improve the Saturday event, which is typically home to the dunk contest, the three-point contest and the shooting stars competition.
Such ideas include the addition of a possible fourth event, like a 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 tournament.
“On the NBC side, we’re thinking if there’s another element that could be added that would make Saturday even more of a showcase for the players,” NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood told FOS.
Although Sunday's game proved a success for both players and viewers (it was the most-watched ASG since 2011), All-Star Saturday, and the dunk contest in particular, still underwhelmed.
Whether the addition of a fourth event stands to rectify that, well, that's tough to say. Given the intrigue around Damian Lillard's three-point contest win (as well as Steph Curry's potential return to the competition), it feels like what All-Star Saturday is really missing is superstar participation. But perhaps a 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 tournament would be more enticing to the game's best players, and therefore garner their attendance, anyway. A win-win? It's possible.
Anyway, it still seems a bit like the whole All-Star operation is a thorn in the NBA's side, but it's nice to see them at least trying to make it a bit better for everyone.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA, NBC Are Now Considering Changes to All-Star Saturday, Too.
