{"id":126029,"date":"2025-02-27T15:10:26","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T20:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=126029"},"modified":"2025-02-27T15:10:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T20:10:26","slug":"kevin-durant-1-on-1-all-star-tournament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/27\/kevin-durant-1-on-1-all-star-tournament\/","title":{"rendered":"2x Champion Is All In On Proposed 1-On-1 All-Star Event"},"content":{"rendered":"

The recently passed\u00a0<\/span>NBA All-Star event<\/span><\/a>\u00a0received mixed reactions from fans and media members alike. The new format introduced <\/span>was vastly different<\/span> from any All-Star games in the past. Unlike a <\/span>full<\/span> game with two teams, it was split into four teams featured in a mini-tournament. While the design added something new, it wasn’t enough to sway some of the NBA’s biggest All-Star game critics. How much longer the\u00a0<\/span>league continues to experiment with the event<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is uncertain. However, considerable steam is amping up for a new All-Star event that even the players, most notably superstars, sound excited and willing to participate in. One of those superstars is\u00a0<\/span>Kevin Durant<\/span><\/a>, who appears to have bought into the All-Star event idea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2x Champion Is All In On Proposed 1-On-1 All-Star Event<\/h2>\n

Kevin Durant Is Already Bought In On the NBA’s Popular All-Star Event Idea, the 1-on-1 Tournament<\/h3>\n

A 1-v-1 tournament consisting of the league’s most talented and dynamic players is one of the best ideas the NBA has stirring right now. It’s becoming increasingly popular because players like\u00a0<\/span>Durant<\/span><\/a>\u00a0are speaking out about it. However, while a handful of players appear keen on the 1-on-1 tournament style, James Harden is another; it has also been reported that many of the league’s general managers feel quite differently. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has apparently taken flack from some GMs for his pull toward the tournament-style format to help viewership.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The in-season NBA Cup tournament has turned out to be relatively successful, but if these GMs have any say, it’s going too far. More from the players, though, namely KD,\u00a0<\/span>who stated on\u00a0<\/span><\/a>The Draymond Green Show<\/span><\/a><\/em>\u00a0[48:50 mark] that he would be a full participant in a 1-on-1 event and even shouted out some players he could match up against, win or lose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWould I play? Yeah, I\u2019d play.\u00a0<\/em>It\u2019d be some good work too.\u00a0<\/em>You can say I can win this, but I can also lose too.\u00a0<\/em>I done played ones with Jayson Tatum<\/a>, and he got cooking…\u00a0<\/em>I would say [Tatum], Kyrie [Irving]<\/a>, for the simple fact that I played against them\u2026 Like a Joel [Embiid]<\/a>, he can get a bucket from the wing [when healthy]. Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]<\/a>, I mean Shai be tough in the ones, especially if we get a five second clock.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n