The 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago is only a few weeks away, but the NBA just announced radical changes to the game format, which now includes a built-in tribute to 18-time NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant.
The NBA is switching to a new format that will essentially turn each quarter into an individual game, with a total of $500,000 in charity donations riding on the outcome. The new format draws from The Basketball Tournament, where teams play to a set target score in the fourth quarter.
How the new NBA All-Star game works:
- At the end of the first quarter, the leading team will win $100,000 for a chosen charity.
- The game score will then be reset for the second quarter (though each team’s running total score will come into play later on). Just like in the first quarter, whichever team “wins” the second quarter will win $100,00 for charity. The same process will occur in the third quarter.
- In the fourth quarter, each team’s running total score will return, and a game-winning target score will be calculated by adding 24 points – in tribute to Bryant – to the leading team’s score. If Team LeBron is leading Team Giannis by a score of 130-125 after three quarters, the winning team would be the first team to reach 154 points. Whichever team wins the game will win an additional $200,000 for its chosen charity.
The new format will certainly force All-Stars to play defense, especially in the fourth quarter, but given that the All-Star rosters will be loaded with the best scorers in the game, it’s possible that we’ll see a very quick final quarter.
