3 Things Adam Silver Needs to Do To Keep Renewed Interest in All-Star Game Alive

Last year, Commissioner Adam Silver and his team of executives received extreme backlash for their attempt at reviving fan interest in the All-Star weekend events.

The league decided to split the game into multiple teams, and then delayed every one of them with an influx of in-between events helmed by influencers and entertainers.

Eventually, the 63-year-old admitted that the format was a failure, and that they were going back to the drawing board for the 2026 All-Star weekend to be held at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California.

Now, after the end of this edition, the initial reaction from the very same fans and members of the media has changed. They were praising Silver and his team for finally accepting the USA vs. World format, as every game was much more competitive than anyone could remember.

Even a few days before the weekend’s festivities, anyone who follows the NBA would chuckle at the words ‘competitive,’ ‘motivated,’ or even entertaining. But players were battling and fought hard to win it for their respective teams.

It seems Adam Silver has a winning format in his hands. However, the commissioner cannot go casual with the victory he achieved, as the entire weekend can do with some fine-tuning to continue garnering fan interest.

Continue with the USA vs. World format, for now

Even though the new USA vs. World format promised increased levels of competition, many were still skeptical about the players taking an interest in pushing themselves in a week they can otherwise relax.

But thanks to Victor Wembanyama, the tone was set early on, which forced the rest of the All-Star participants to follow his lead. Be it the veterans or the younger players, almost everyone got into the act.

Sure, there were instances of a few players not giving it their all, for instance, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, but most were dialed in. If anything, the success of this first attempt at pitting players against each other should give Adam Silver and his staff the impetus to continue with this format.

There is the risk of it becoming stale, and with nothing to fight for, players could fall back into their tendencies of taking it casually. But keeping this format and tweaking the games and rosters could keep them from losing interest.

For instance, pairing the veterans and the young Americans on separate teams may have worked now. But it could dampen the mood, as some younger players might see it as a slight. Or, injuries could impact it.

Adam Silver has to figure out ways to reduce injuries

Over the past few seasons, the increasing number of injuries has become a major area of concern. In this 2026 All-Star game, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Stephen Curry were missing from action.

Had the former two played for the World team, they may have been determined to put up a better fight against the Americans. On the other hand, the Warriors’ star could have led his veterans by example in the Championship game.

Even the Rising Stars game was hampered after Cooper Flagg entered the injury report. Adam Silver cannot expect to continue pushing the players through the gruelling 82-game season any longer.

In this era of basketball, players are pushing their bodies to limits unheard of before. It would be wise to exercise caution, especially when the fans might not be able to witness a replay of last season’s stellar late-season push.

The likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, and Jayson Tatum could have spiced up the activities this weekend. Adam Silver has to address the problem now before it starts to impact the league’s renewed interest among fans.

Adam Silver has to utilize every event of the weekend to make the All-Star festivities a success

This switch to the USA vs. World format has made the 2026 All-Star game a resounding success. But the league still has to do more to build up interest that starts with the events on Friday and Saturday.

For starters, the Rising Stars challenge needs a serious rethink. Young players are battling harder than before, but it is not enough to draw the attention of the casual fan.

Then there is the Celebrity All-Star game. A serious attempt to bring in ‘proper’ celebrities is the least fans would expect. The league’s lead insider is not someone they can associate with the word ‘celebrity.’

Then, Saturday’s events need a major rethink. The skills challenge has become an afterthought. Last season, Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul‘s disqualification was the sole highlight.

Instead of inclusivity, the league may have to draw in its best players to bring some excitement. The All-Stars playing on Sunday might not want to take part, but the next best could be enough motivation for fans to tune in.

Then, Adam Silver’s NBA needed an injured Damian Lillard to bring back some excitement in the three-point contest. There are two aspects here.

On one hand, the league needs to bring in WNBA stars such as Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, and maybe a couple others to add some much-needed diversity.

Finally, the oft-criticized Slam Dunk contest. Sure, this year was marginally better. But drawing in Jaxson Hayes after his one dunk managed to excite fans a few weeks ago is hardly the answer.

Adam Silver needs to move aside a small percentage of those billions in media rights money, or even a part of the fines they collect all season long, if they want to entice the league’s best dunkers.

Nowadays, with players focused so much on creating and maintaining their public image, giving them opportunities to pay some of their bills would be a good motivational tactic.

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