Former Laker and LeBron's teammate has the key to save the All-Star weekend

The NBA All-Star 2024 weekend has come and gone and it has sparked again the conversation of the event needing something new to revitalize it as fans and players have been losing interest with years passing.

Last year's Lakers backup center Tristan Thompson and two-time LeBron James teammate have proposed to make the weekend a little bit more entertaining and aren't giving the players a bonus.

Thompson posted on X: "Adding a 1-on-1 tournament and a 2-ball tournament (like they did in 98-01) during All-Star weekend would be entertaining."

The NBA introduced the 2Ball competition back in 1998 to replace the dunk contest. It lasted until 2001 before the league did away with the event. It was a shooting event where teams consisted of one NBA and one WNBA player who played in the same city. This could be interesting after the contest Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu had at this year's All-Star.

The reason why a 1-on-1 tournament could be a good idea

With the All-Star Game featuring very little defense, it’s possible that players would put more effort – and have more pride – in competing against one other player to see who is the best solo star in the game. The NBA would have to get players willing to participate in the event, but it is a new idea that could bring some interest and competition to the weekend’s action.