NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Admits New All-Star Format Was A Huge Miss
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver struggles to reignite interest in his product, particularly the league's All-Star Weekend festivities, which have faded into irrelevance in recent years.
What was once must-see TV has lost its luster, hurting the league’s appeal.
This year’s All-Star Game even posted the second-lowest ratings ever for the so-called ‘marquee’ event.
READ: NBA All-Star Game Ratings Tank, Second-Lowest On Record
The NBA's 2025 All-Star Game drew a meager 4.7 million viewers, marking a 13 percent drop from the previous year and ranking as the second-lowest rated in league history.
Days of iconic NBA All-Star Games — like Michael Jordan torching the West for 40 in ’88 — cast today’s lackluster, low-effort exhibitions in a harsh light.
FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis (L) and NBA commissioner Adam Silver (R) speak during a press conference to announce the NBA's ongoing quest to further align with FIBA and expand its role in European basketball, in New York, on March 27, 2025. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
The athletes may be flashier nowadays, but the NBA is losing its soul. It’s all trending downhill, with Silver and the players largely to blame.
Tasked with reviving these events, the commissioner is displaying glaring incompetence.
Speaking at the league meetings in New York this week, Silver admitted the NBA’s attempt to boost interest with a tournament-style All-Star Game was a complete flop. "I thought we made almost an immeasurable amount of progress — sitting there, I thought this was a little better — but it was a miss," Silver said on Thursday.
Instead of sticking to the classic East versus West showdown, the league opted for a four-team tournament format. Silver dumped that idea shortly after its debut.
"We’re not there in terms of creating an All-Star experience that we can be proud of and that our players can be proud of," he added.
Players and fans alike are disengaged from the All-Star Game, Dunk Contest, and other showcase events, crippled by a lack of participation. Even when All-Stars do show up, they barely try.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talks after the 2023 NBA All Star Game between Team Giannis and Team LeBron at Vivint Arena on February 19, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
As OutKick has reported, the NBA has undermined its product with poor decisions — like the heavy push for Black Lives Matter messaging in 2020 and the player-friendly ‘load management’ trend that stars now exploit.
READ: NBA Ratings On ESPN Have Taken A Nosedive This Season
Silver’s desperation to resuscitate the brand and restore the relevance it held under David Stern is clear.
The league’s focus on building its brand in China over the past decade hasn’t helped, further eroding its connection with American audiences.
The NBA has seen a sharp decline in viewership in recent years, with ratings dropping significantly — down 48 percent since 2012 and 28 percent on ESPN alone this year.
Not exactly gold-standard work by Adam Silver.
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