Why the 2024 NBA All-Star Game moved away from a draft and the Elam ending

Instead of a draft and the Elam ending, the 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference with four 12-minute quarters.

After a few years of experimenting with a different format, including a draft for players between 2018 and 2023, the league will now return to the original format of the game that was used for decades. The draft ocassionally had its interesting moments but it had run its course.

The Elam Ending, explained here, was initially considered a huge hit when it was first introduced to the NBA All-Star Game in 2020. But for a variety of reasons, some that had little to do with the format and more to do with a fear of players getting hurt, the games have not seen much competition of late.

Fans have noticed this and last season, viewership of the game was down to its lowest figure in more than 20 years. Someone needed to step in and save this game as its quality got worse and worse!

During an interview with JJ Redick on The Old Man and the Three podcast, NBA comissioner Adam Silver addressed these problems:

“No one was happy about the experience last year, no one at all … It’s not me necessarily saying we expect you to be playing like it’s the Finals but we need a game.”

It was obviously time for a change and so Silver decided to shake things up.

But another reason why the league has moved back to the format, according to Silver, is a tribute to the city that is hosting the 2024 NBA All-Star Game (via Indy Star):

“It’s fitting with the entire theme of our season which essentially, ‘Back to basketball,'” Silver said. “… Since we’re coming back to such a traditional market, we’re going back to the classic format.”

Rick Carlisle, head coach of the Pacers, supported the idea. He said that Indiana is among the “purer basketball” places.

Whether you missed it or not, the traditional NBA All-Star Game is back.