It’s not a surprise but now it is official: The 2025 NBA All-Star Game is coming to San Francisco at the Chase Center.
“We are thrilled to host our NBA All-Star festivities in the San Francisco Bay Area, where there is a long and storied history of basketball,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.
“It has been 25 years since the NBA All-Star Game was played in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we are delighted to bring the NBA’s marquee event to Chase Center in 2025,” said Warriors Co-Executive Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob.
The one twist for this game could be the format. For the 2024 All-Star Game next February in Indianapolis, the league is returning to All-Star Game classic — East vs. West, no target score just four regular quarters, no draft of players. However, Silver hinted at the press conference announcing the 2025 game that the league is considering a “Ryder Cup format” that would see Team USA take on the rest of the world.
Silver doesn’t drop things like that on accident, it’s a trial balloon. That kind of format would put Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo on one team vs. Jayson Tatum, LeBron James and Stephen Curry on the other. The league has looked for ways to inject energy into what can otherwise be a dull, no-defense game as players prioritize avoiding injury, and this USA vs. the world format is at the very least on the table.
The NBA likes to reward franchises that build new arenas with an All-Star Game (if the city has the hotel and event infrastructure to handle what becomes a massive event drawing tens of thousands to the city, then bids for the event). This game rewards Warriors ownership and San Francisco for getting the Chase Center built.
The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be played on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Pacers.
Source link: https://sports.yahoo.com/official-2025-nba-star-game-133000633.html
