The NBA has agreed with the players’ union that the All-Star Draft will be televised during the All-Star Weekend 2019 in Charlotte. This was first reported by Marc Stein of the New York Times, but has now been confirmed by ESPN.
As in the previous season, two previously appointed captains will alternate in the run-up to the All-Star Game to select the players for their respective teams. In 2019 this “Playground-Style”-Draft will be shown on TV.
After Stephen Curry and LeBron James picked their teams in 2018 by teleconference in camera, there was a lot of criticism from the fans. The NBA has now reacted to this in cooperation with the NBPA.
“What’s wrong with that? It’s the All-Star weekend,” LeBron James replied when asked if he thought this was a good idea. The NBA was initially concerned that if the order of the picks became public, there might be some quarrels among the players.
“You’ve got 24 of the best players in the world who’ll make the teams. It doesn’t matter whether you finish last or first, because you’re one of the 24 best players,” the King said. “I don’t think it’s gonna be bad. We’ll see.”
Last year, the NBA introduced a new All-Star format. The five starters from the Eastern and Western Conference will continue to be determined by fan voting. In addition, the two players with the most votes are appointed team captains, who draft their teams from the pool of other All-Stars.