NBA Stars Would Be Open A 1-On-1 Tournament In The Future

After a heavily-criticized NBA All-Star Weekend in the Bay Area, one of the hottest topics this week is how to “save” the annual event. One idea that has been floated for the past couple of years is a potential 1-on-1 tournament, and a handful of some of the game’s best players appear to be open to giving it a shot.

NBA Stars Would Approve Of A 1-On-1 Tournament

It is no secret that the All-Star Game has been in dire need of a makeover. The competitiveness of the game has waned in recent years, and so has viewership and fan reception as a result. Changes were made to the 2025 version of the event, as the NBA implemented a mini-tournament format that players said did in fact increase their interest and commitment to trying to win.

But there are still plenty of criticisms that remain, and ideas are being thrown around in the media about what to do about the growing issue. One well-known NBA insider took things into her own hands during All-Star Weekend, and found out straight from the sources if there would be any interest in a future 1-on-1 tournament between the game’s best players.

“Hell Yeah” – Anthony Edwards.
On Open Run, I asked a bunch of NBA All Stars what they thought of doing a 1-on-1 tourney at next year’s event – and a LOT of them said they’re in. Let’s go… pic.twitter.com/k5ppQCCRyp

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 17, 2025

The responses were overwhelmingly positive. For her YouTube series called “Open Run”, Rachel Nichols interviewed some of the All-Stars this past weekend. One of her main questions was about the All-Star Weekend itself, which was whether the players would be open to participating in a 1-on-1 competition.

Guys like James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Donovan Mitchell were all pressed on their thoughts, as were Anthony Edwards and Giannis Antetokounmpo. All were receptive, saying that they would participate without any noticeable hesitation, and both Edwards and Harden were adamant that they would come out victorious when asked who would win.

The idea has already been tried out in the women’s game. The newly minted “Unrivaled” league created by Breanna Stewart and Naphessa Collier had their inaugural season in 2025, and it included a 1-on-1 tournament that was met with an overall positive reception. It could be a format that the NBA looks to mimic or draw from if they were to explore the idea.

There would be some things to work through first, as laid forth by Irving in his interview with Nichols. “I think there has to be an appreciation there first of what you do,” Irving stated. “Because you have to commentate it a little bit different than you do 5-on-5. There’s an appreciation for seeing a 1v1 matchup that goes beyond what the traditional space is now.”