NBA All-Star Game Implements Changes To Honor Kobe Bryant

On Thursday (Jan. 30), the shared an announcement that a new format for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game will be introduced and will actually have a meaningful impact on the contest. This year’s game will also include a fourth-quarter format that will honor the late .

As reported by NBA.com, the 69th NBA All-Star Game pits Team Giannis of the Eastern Conference and Team LeBron of the Western Conference against each other in hopes they can win one of the first three quarters, which will all start scoreless and will be 12 minutes long. For the fourth quarter, there will be no game clock and something the league calls the Final Target Score will be set.

The format will take the leading team’s combined score through the first three quarters then add 24 points, this in honor of Bryant’s jersey number. The first team to hit the Final Target Score will win the contest.

More from NBA.com:

As part of NBA All-Star 2020, more than $1 million will be contributed to Chicago community non-profit organizations through NBA Cares outreach efforts. These efforts will culminate during the NBA All-Star Game when each team will play for a Chicago-based charity beneficiary, as selected by team captains Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The community organization selected by the winner of each of the first three quarters will receive $100,000 – a total of $300,000 donated to charity for those three quarters. The winner of each of the first three quarters will be the team with the higher score at the end of the 12-minute quarter.

Check out the full rules of the 2020 NBA All-Star Game by following this link.

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