NBA All-Star Game Disappoints Yet Again

The NBA held its annual All-Star game this past Sunday, and it was met with mixed reactions. With the advice of current NBA stars, commissioner Adam Silver changed the format of the game this year, in hopes of making it more competitive. To his credit, players were more engaged this year, occasionally playing serious defense, but for the most part, the game was closer to a shootaround than a professional game. 

The annual Rising Stars game played a part in the All-Star game, which was a new component of the revamped weekend. The pool of Rising Star players were split into four teams of eight, and participated in a tournament, with the winning team being able to join the All-Star game as one of the four teams. 

In the past, the NBA employed an East vs West format, only recently changing to two captains drafting their team. This year, the draft was still used, but instead of player captains, the TNT crew of Shaq, Chuck, and Kenny were the ones who drafted 8 players to their own teams. WNBA legend Candace Parker was put in charge of the Rising Stars squad, and with that, the stage was set. 

While many fans expected to see their favorite stars play against each other, they were instead met with promotions and segments unrelated to the actual basketball game. According to CBS Sports, the All-Star game ran for three hours, yet only featured only 30 minutes of actual basketball. Since teams only had to score 40 points, games were quick and concise, leaving fans to watch Mr. Beast do a challenge with fans. 

Fans have for years complained about the lack of effort in the game, with the desire to see a real basketball game. With this new format, fans couldn’t even do just that. Most of the night was painful Kevin Hart jokes, and random segments that had nothing to do with the game. 

There was even a game between Shaq and Chuck’s team that was interrupted for 18 minutes for an “Inside the NBA” tribute since the game will no longer be aired on TNT. Multiple players complained about this stoppage, with Jaylen Brown saying it, “took the gas out of the game.”

Overall, the All-Star game has been regressing for some years now, and clearly, the changes made this year didn’t help. Players like Giannis Antetokoumpo and Nikola Jokic have advocated for a USA vs World format, which could spark some of the pride and competitiveness seen during the Olympics. The only issue with this format is that some players would miss out on the game due to them not being American or due to teams needing to be even. 

Others have suggested scrapping the All-Star game, and instead having more events like the three-point competition or the dunk contest. A 1v1 tournament has been the most popular suggestion, but star players may be wary to join, so as to not embarrass themselves or their pride. Every NBA player is extremely skilled, and it’s not crazy to say that a player like Jordan Poole could best someone like Pascal Siakam, just due to their different playstyles. 

Regardless, the NBA will need to look for solutions, and quickly, before the most popular suggestion is to scrap the All-Star weekend as a whole. Other leagues, such as the NFL, also struggle with this debacle. Even with added monetary advantages, it’s become more difficult to get players to show effort. 

With all of your top stars in the same place, the potential is boundless for an entertaining weekend. Whichever solution the NBA chooses will need to address the lack of playtime and subpar effort given. Hopefully, the NBA and corresponding leagues can find an answer, creating an enjoyable viewing experience for fans across the world.