Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum isn’t too keen just yet to follow in the footsteps of the PBA and employ a four-point line in the NBA, even if it’s just the All-Star Game.
Fans of the four-point line will need to wait a little longer for the possibility of seeing it in action in the NBA, as Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum shut down any talks of it being featured in the league’s All-Star Game... at least in the near future.
During a media availability on Monday (early Tuesday morning in Manila), Tatum said that the four-point line isn’t on the table just yet as the league continues to seek ways on revamping its annual All-Star festivities, even if it did appear in the celebrity game a few years back.
With the All-Star Game employing a new format--a mini-tournament ala the Rising Stars--Tatum and the NBA are keen on seeing how it unfolds before making any more adjustments, especially since viewership has been on a downturn.
“I would say it’s not currently being contemplated, as you noted, the celebrity game, we have done that and I think that’s a fun sort of event,” Tatum said.
“This new format that we’re focused on right now, with the mini-tournament. We’ll see how that goes,” he added.
Still, the idea of the four-point line isn’t all that bad for Tatum — especially since one of the world’s oldest basketball leagues, the PBA, has already implemented it in the regular season, which has created more than a handful of exciting games in the league.
And it all started with a successful run in the PBA All-Star Game in Passi.
Asked about the PBA innovation last year, Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving expressed he was open to the possibilities.
“I think it’s gonna make the game a lot more fun, in terms of just the creativity that will enable people to move their games out a little further,” Irving told One Sports.
[ALSO READ: Kyrie Irving believes PBA’s 4-point line will give space for ‘creativity’ in basketball]
Even WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark was game.
“I love that. Let’s do it. That’s a great idea… four-point line,” said Clark, agreeing with Travis Kelce who first mentioned it during their New Heights podcast.
[ALSO READ: Like PBA, Caitlin Clark believes having 4-point line in NBA could boost ratings]
As the NBA continues to evolve and innovate for the changing landscape of hoops fans, Tatum said that they’re still eager to look for ways to grow the game, even the All-Star Game.
“I think that there is a balance between the things like a four-point line and also, making it an entertaining competition,” Tatum said.
“And so, again, no current contemplation today on the four-point line, but we’re gonna continue to look at how we can make sure that the All-Star format is being relevant and being entertaining to the fans,” he added.
The 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend unfurls in San Francisco, California from February 15 to 17, Philippine time. You can catch the events live on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, RPTV, and the Pilipinas Live app.
[ALSO READ: NBA All-Star 2025 Philippine guide]