WHAT'S BROKE & NEEDS FIXING. This may be the easiest WHAT'S BROKE & NEEDS FIXING column I have every written. It is truly painful to admit but someone has to be the adult in the room and call it like they see it. With that being said, I'll step to the plate and take my three swings at it, ok?

The NBA All Star game is not just broke. It's demolished and the question that is begging to be asked is simply is it fixable.

Here's why the new format of three exhibitions, and you can't call them games because they weren't, of the first team to score 40 points would be the victor needed to attempted. After the huge pushback from fans, as well as media, after the total debacle that was the completely uncompetitive 2024 All Star game in Indianapolis that ended up 211-186, the NBA knew that model needed to be jettisoned.

The Association was hoping the shortened contest would spur the players on to be more competitive. Sadly, it was not the case as the intensity level was still lacking.

Here's my simplistic advice to the National Basketball Association and I'm going to steal a very appropriate quote from the 19th century Irish poet Oscar Wilde which is, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." The NHL was in that same sinking ship as the NBA last year but they found a life preserver.

Replacing an extremely boring All Star 3 on 3 figuring skating exhibition with The Four Nations Face Off was a stroke of genius. The intensity level of the hockey players when they have the emblem of the country on their sweater went up exponentially and that passion has turned into viewers tuning in to watch in droves.

I hope someone that's associated with Commissioner Adam Silver office brings this to his attention. How many people do you think would tune in to watch four teams representing the USA plus North and South America along with Europe with a contingent from Asia/Africa go at it in earnest? My guess is hundreds of millions world wide and that exactly in the best interest of the National Basketball Association.

Growing the game on a global stage is the ultimate goal of the NBA. There's simply two words description for that and it's Cha Ching. Money talks.

Book it Dano!