Jalen Brunson Proposes NBA All-Star Game Winner Gets Homecourt Advantage For Finals
The NBA is back in full swing after resuming its post-All-Star break action Thursday.
Similar to how it’s been the last few seasons, the biggest conversation topic exiting the All-Star break is: How does the league reform All-Star weekend and, specifically, the All-Star game?
There have been numerous proposed solutions amongst fans and pundits, from paying the players on the winning team to changing the format in an attempt to make the game more competitive.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who was named to his first All-Star team this season, recently proposed an interesting incentive to the winning team.
“The winner of the All-Star Game (could get) home-court advantage in the Finals,” Brunson said on his podcast “Roommates,” co-hosted alongside Knicks teammate Josh Hart. “I think that’s one way that could at least make it interesting in the fourth quarter, keep it close and have fun.”
This incentive was previously enforced by Major League Baseball, arguably the most competitive All-Star game across professional sports in America.
MLB’s All-Star game held this initiative for over a decade (2003-16); previously, home-field advantage in the World Series alternated each year and now it’s rewarded to the team with the best record. It wasn’t a well-liked rule amongst pundits, but made the All-Star game more interesting and competitive for MLB.
That said, it’s hard to BS an MLB All-Star game unless pitchers want to continually throw 65 MPH eephus pitches–which they don’t. You can’t say the same about the NBA’s All-Star event, where players don’t compete (go at least 80 percent for 90 percent of the game?) anymore after it was completely different as long as a decade ago.
I’m all for Brunson’s proposal, though I still don’t think there is an existing world where NBA players genuinely care about playing defense in the All-Star game for a prolonged period. That ship has sailed for the foreseeable future unless there happens to a massive change in philosophy.
“Considering where our game is at right now, it’s kind of hard for guys to compete (in the All-Star game),” Brunson said. “I’m not saying guys don’t want to compete–if (an injury) happens, organizations and everyone’s going to be pissed. They’re going to look at it like, ‘Our marquee guy is hurt in a game that doesn’t really count for anything.'”
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