Devin Booker agrees with Kevin Durant on new All-Star game format

Devin Booker wasn’t quite as critical of the NBA’s new All-Star game format as his Phoenix Suns teammate, Kevin Durant.

A day after Durant said he hates the mini tournament, Booker addressed the changes made for this season’s All-Star game Feb. 16 at Chase Center in San Francisco.

“It’s change, it’s different,” said Booker, a four-time All-Star, after Wednesday’s practice. “I’m more into the nostalgia. I agree with Kev. I like East versus West with your own team jersey. I like the old jerseys. It’s whatever.”

A candid Durant didn’t hold back in his disapproval of a revised format that will have four teams playing a total of three games to determine an all-star champion. Two teams will battle in one semifinal with two other teams meeting in the second semifinal.

The winners advance to the championship game. The first team to reach 40 points in each game wins.

“I hate it. Absolutely hate it,” Durant said after Tuesday’s practice. “I think it’s terrible. All-Star games, formats changing. All the formats been terrible in my opinion. We should just go back to East-West and play the game.”

The 24 All-Star selections will be divided into three eight-player teams chosen by TNT’s Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal while the fourth team is the Rising Stars champion.

Barkley, Smith and O’Neal will draft their All-Star teams on Feb. 6 on TNT before a double-header and serve as honorary team general managers for Team Chuck, Team Kenny and Team Shaq. The fourth team will come out of the Rising Stars challenge as TNT’s Candace Parker will serve as general manager for Team Candace.

“I think we’ve been trying to bring that flair back somehow with the All-Star weekend, but I think we should just keep it traditional,” continued Durant, a 14-time All-Star. “We’ll see how this one works. You never know. I might be wrong. I’m just another guy with an opinion, but we’ll see how it works.”

This recent change is the league’s attempt to spruce up the competitive spirit, something that’s been lacking in recent years. Last season’s All-Star game was void of any defense in a record 211-186 East victory in Indianapolis.

“It’s tough, it’s a tough part of the season,” Booker said. “Usually outside of the All-Star break or right after, it’s like the home stretch where you’re gearing up. I’d say most guys even going into the game are probably already dealing with something, but it’s tough. It’s an important part of the NBA tradition. It’s always been a highlighted weekend, but things are changing and evolving. We just have to take it for what it is.”

The new NBA All-Star format is what the league used for Rising Stars during last season’s All-Star weekend in Indianapolis in having four teams with one comprised of G League players.

This season’s Rising Stars game is Feb. 14.

The four All-Star teams will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million with each player on the championship team receiving $125,000. Players on the runner-up team will receive $50,000 while each player on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.

The All-Star voting format will remain the same. The East and West starters will be determined by fan vote (50%), media panel vote (25%) and current players vote (25%).

The head coaches select the seven reserves for each conference.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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