Despite multiple special games during the NBA All-Star weekend, a huge number of seats in LA’s new Intuit Arena were empty. In the 2025 edition, the viewership was also down by 13%. The league tried to be innovative with new formats for the annual mega event.
Amid this, Celtics’ star Jaylen Brown takes inspiration from the Unrivaled and calls for the 1-on-1 format implementation in the NBA All-Star game. The Unrivalled is currently on the rise, and after success in Philadelphia, which generated $2 million in revenue, the league is now taking the semifinals to Brooklyn to expand its wings across the country.
Jaylen Brown Wants Unrivaled’s 1-On-1 Format In NBA All-Star Game
The NBA All-Star game will see Team World taking on Team USA on February 15. Jaylen Brown will lead Team USA in the contest and in the media session, opening up about his one wish.
He said, “I am actually a big fan of 1-on-1. I actually love watching, it reminds me of the purity of the game. It’s like man-on-man, people on the court talking trash. You have to play two sides, you gonna be an offensive and defensive player. So I think that would be great.”
Jaylen Brown on being a fan of the @Unrivaledwbb 1-on-1 tournament 🏀 pic.twitter.com/1gt3vSzYbQ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 14, 2026
He added that he could challenge and beat players like Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donovan Mitchell, and Jalen Brunson in the games.
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The Unrivaled stars are also happy with the exciting contest, testing their skill sets at different levels. The league owner thanked the sponsors for the support, too.
Unrivaled Owner Praises 1-On-1 Format
The ‘back-to-basics’ format of the game actually gets the best out of players, providing fans with exciting matchups on the floor. The Unrivaled found success with its shortest format and is also looking at innovative ways to keep fans hooked.
Breanna Stewart said, “Shoutout to our partners, shoutout to Sprite for being back with us and making that pot money $300,000. I think that’s eye-popping for everybody and everybody really wants to go and get it. I think it will be cool this time because all the games will be at night for the first round, so that buzz and that hype will grow as the night goes on,“
In the 2026 edition, Stewart was one of the favorites along with Paige Bueckers. In the three-day event, Chelsey Grey came from behind to beat Kelsey Plum in the semifinals and also lifted the title with a similar comeback, beating Allisha Grey.