Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving made his ninth NBA All-Star Game appearance on Sunday night, taking place in 2025's contest in San Francisco. It was a different type of event this year, as they switched to a four-team tournament-style event,

Irving, 32, was born in Melbourne and raised in the U.S. He's twice played for Team USA, winning a gold medal in Rio at the 2016 Olympics and winning gold at the 2014 World Cup. He didn't play for Team USA at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo or at Paris 2024.

In recent years, the NBA has tinkered relentlessly with its All-Star format—attempting to reintroduce the pride the game is perceived to have carried in a less affluent era of basketball. That led to a four-team tournament on Feb.

The NBA experimented with a new format for the All-Star Game this year after criticism of the traditional East-West game. Fans and analysts complained that the regular game had degraded into a glorified layup line,

The NBA is reportedly considering another major change to its All-Star Game format, with NBC, its new media partner, playing a key role in the decision-making process. The latest concept being floated is a four-team mini-tournament featuring two teams of U.