The All-Star game has been a sacred tradition in the NBA since 1951, which has fizzled out in popularity and effort in recent years. In an attempt to change up the NBA format to draw fan interest, league commissioner Adam Silver created a tournament-style cup.
The tournament was split into four teams. 3 of the teams were All-Stars, and one of Rising Stars (promising rookie and sophomore players).
Silver’s efforts to create fan interest in the sport is commendable, especially with the semi-successful in-season tournament and the play-in tournament. However, this was the weakest of the three.