NBA nixes All-Star draft, returns to classic format

The NBA All-Star Game is going back to its original format this season in Indianapolis, the league announced Wednesday.

The game, which will take place on Feb. 18 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, will feature an Eastern Conference team and a Western Conference team, comprising 12 players from each conference.

This change will end the All-Star draft that has taken place for the past six seasons, and team captains will be determined through fan voting of the five starters on each team.

“The theme this year is ‘Back to basketball,'” NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters Wednesday.

There will also no longer be a target score in the fourth quarter, with the game returning to a standard 12-minute, four-quarter contest.

“We’re looking at some potential changes in format,” Silver said on ESPN’s “First Take” last week. “Maybe a return to something more traditional in terms of how the teams are presented.”

“A lot of it comes down to reinforcing with our players and our teams how important this is for the fans. … We don’t expect playoff intensity. But we expect a competitive game for our fans,” he added.