LeBron James on New All-Star Game Format: 'We Had to Do Something'

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James offered his thoughts on the new All-Star Game format on Monday.

"I don't see it as a bad idea. We had to do something," he said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. "The All-Star Game has been pretty bad the last couple years just from a competition standpoint. Trying to switch it up. Just like how the dunk contest was at one point it was great, then it wasn't so well, so they had to kind of switch it up. Then it got good, then it got bad and you switch it up again. You see what happens. It's hard to say if it's good or bad yet. We haven't done it yet. February isn't here yet so no one knows how good or how bad it's going to be. But I like the change. Why not?"

The NBA changed the format for 2018's edition of the annual All-Star Game, going from an East vs. West matchup to a format that will see two captains pick teams from a pool of players. Those captains will be the players from each conference who received the most votes from the fans.  

The 10 starters will still be selected by fans (50 percent of the vote), players (25 percent) and media members (25 percent). The remaining players will then be chosen by the game's coaches. Those coaches will be selected from the team in each conference with the best record two weeks before the All-Star Game, also unchanged from the previous format.

"I'm thrilled with what the players and the league have done to improve the All-Star Game, which has been a priority for all of us," Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul said in the league's press release announcing the changes. "We're looking forward to putting on an entertaining show in L.A."

The change has the possibility of spicing things up. If Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant win the vote in the West, would they choose the other for their team? Would James and Steph Curry pair up? Will new rivalries be forged if certain players are spurned by one of the captains or get selected later than they would have expected?

The hope will be that the new format sparks intrigue among the fans and players alike. With the old format growing stale, a change was inevitable.