Count legend Gary Payton among those excited about the NBA’s new All-Star Game format this season. A reminder: The leading vote-getters in each conference will be team captains this year, selecting from a pool of stars instead of the traditional East vs. West format. (There’s still time for the NBA to televise the draft, too.) A nine-time All-Star himself, Payton told The Crossover earlier this month he believes the change will be a positive for the league.
“It’s more exciting,” Payton said of the draft. “It will make the game more competitive, like pick-up games in the summer, which all these guys are doing anyway, and they’re having a good time.