Adam Silver: NBA Will Consider Televising All-Star Draft Next Year

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver opened the door for the league to televise the All-Star draft after the inaugural edition was held behind closed doors between Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.

Silver said on ESPN's The Jump that there was a desire to see how the new format of having a draft in the first place played out before adding the wrinkle of broadcasting it. However, Silver made it clear he was aware of how popular the idea of televising the draft has become.

He said, "I think everybody wants to televise it," and that the league is prepared to address the issue with the National Basketball Players Association.

The exchange begins at the 1:52 mark of the video below:

After completing the draft, both James and Curry agreed televising the draft is an idea worth considering:

The pair also went on TNT's Inside the NBA, where James echoed the same sentiment:

The New York Times' Marc Stein reported the NBA had originally planned on televising the draft but that members of the players union had objected to the idea.

According to Stein, the league and players union were concerned about the negative optics for the player who was selected last in the draft, and they were worried the All-Star captains might face blowback from teammates they passed over.

Given how many fans are clamoring for the draft to be televised—along with Curry and James' blessings—it seems logical the NBA and players union will re-examine the topic in time for the 2019 All-Star Game.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly characterized Curry's public statements about televising the draft and misinterpreted Silver's comments made on The Jump. We regret the errors.