Against all odds, the 2026 NBA All-Star Game managed to be ... actually kind of fun? Sure, the roster construction got wonky, and the format required a bit more explaining than you'd like, but hey: Team World vs. (two) Team USAs got the players to care and produced multiple quarters of actual, professional basketball between the best players on Earth. Given what we'd seen over the past few years, that qualifies as a win.
But Shaquille O'Neal didn't get where he is by settling for good enough. And as a 15-time All-Star (and three-time All-Star Game MVP), who better to ask about how to make sure one of the league's crown jewel events remains relevant well into the future? Turns out, Shaq has a simple solution: "I think if you want to make it competitive forever, just do USA vs. the world and the winning team gets $5 million."
Shaquille O'Neal's idea to fix All-Star weekend: Cash and cars
To be clear, O'Neal thought the 2026 All-Star Game was a real improvement, and particularly appreciated the way the younger generation of stars took it upon themselves to bring some intensity back to the proceedings.
"I didn't like the three-team concept, but shout out to guys like Anthony Edwards and [Victor Wembanyama], two guys that took it upon themselves to say, 'let's go ahead and set the tone and play well,'" said O'Neal, who spoke to FanSided on behalf of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), which is partnering with Eli Lilly on the launch of the Team USA Athlete Recovery Program.
Shaq knows from first-hand experience that a compressed game time (this year featured four 12-minute games, as opposed to four 12-minute quarters) makes it more likely for players to give it their all. He also knows that money is the universal language.
"First three quarters [when he was in the All-Star Game], you're probably going through the motions," O'Neal said. "But the fourth quarter, you know, you're trying to get that little bonus check [for MVP] that they pass out."
So Shaq's idea is to simply make that check much, much bigger. This year, the three teams of All-Stars were competing for a share of a $1.8 million in total prize money: $125,000 per player for the winners, $50,000 per player for the runner-up and $25,000 for the third-place team. Safe to say that $5 million would be a substantial raise, one that would likely catch players' attention.
His idea is similar for the Slam Dunk Contest, which was once again among the lowlights of All-Star Weekend. O'Neal's idea: "I will put a Ferrari and a Rolls Royce right in the middle of the court and be like, 'hey, who wants this?' Third place Lamborghini, guys will start showing up."
Who knows if the thought of another new car could finally coax LeBron into the competition, but it's worth a shot.