In an effort to make the NBA All-Star game a bit more competitive, the NBA has announced an increase in the prize money that the winning team will receive.
This year, players on the winning All-Star team will take home $100,000 each, as opposed to the $25,000 that the losers will earn. According to ESPN's Chris Haynes, the league previously dished out $50,000 to the winners.
Doubling the prize money, and putting a $75,000 difference between winning and losing, has certainly gotten the attention of several All-Stars, including Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. Both believe the $100K bounty will have an impact on the game, which typically sees little to no defense being played until the final minutes.
Per ESPN,
"That'll certainly make it more interesting," Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving said regarding the $100,000 winner's prize. "That's a huge difference."
"I think it will help, for sure. That's a lot of money," Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson told ESPN. "It will definitely help."
Steph Curry noted that the $100,000 prize should help make the All-Star game a little better, but he also had some suggestions as to how the league can improve the All-Star experience.
Curry says, per ESPN's Chris Haynes,
"An idea I have is shortening the day. The entire game day is the biggest drag for us. Media [obligations], sponsorship appearances, [extravagant, prolonged] All-Star introductions. It's obviously a made-for-TV event. After all that, then there's the game. That's a lot. But all the changes should help make the game a little better. It won't be like [Saturday night against the Celtics], but it should be better."
The 2018 NBA All-Star game is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, February 18th at approximately 8pm ET.
#TeamLeBron: Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Russell Westbrook, Kristaps Porzingis, Bradley Beal, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love, Victor Oladipo and John Wall.
#TeamSteph: James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kyle Lowry, Al Horford, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.