The 60th installment of the NBA All-Star Game was once again a huge success, as the league continues to have the best exhibition event of any on the four major sports leagues.
The West won, 148-143, as Kobe Bryant scored 37 points en route to earning a record-tying fourth All-Star Game MVP award in another great game.
However, what if the NBA held a fantasy draft for its All-Star Game, much like the NHL did for theirs this season?
The best way to do this is that the face of the host team goes up against the leading vote-getter or a chief rival in order to fill out a 12-man roster from a pool of all-stars chosen by the fans, players, and coaches. This way, we get to see the players become their own general managers and create their own "super teams".
Imagine Bryant and LeBron James as captains and that LeBron has the first pick. The drama would be intense to see if James remains loyal and selects his teammate Dwyane Wade with the No. 1 pick or if he backstabs Wade and selects another player.
Just ask the NHL, who saw a 33 percent increase in the Nielsen TV ratings this year from the 2009 All-Star Game (there was no NHL All-Star Game last year due to the Olympics).
The Detroit Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom and the Carolina Hurricanes' Eric Staal drafted and filled out their teams of 21 players two days before the game, and the result was a thrilling 11-10 game won by Team Staal.
About the game and the draft, Lidstrom said to Fanhouse, "I think it made for an exciting weekend. Everybody was anticipating the draft and [wondering] who was going to get picked first and who was going to get picked last."
The NHL's success of this concept should be an encouragement to NBA fans who would love to see their All-Star Game have an added twist to the current standard.
Will the NBA adopt this soon? Who knows, but it is just a thought that deserves good consideration.
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