NBA All-Star week has just wrapped, and there are many talking points about it, however many that aren’t good. This was the second worst rated NBA All-Star game ever, with only last year being worse. It was also the second lowest viewed all star game, with last year also being the worst. The game is sluggish, the players don’t try, and we had a bunch of first/second year players playing in a semifinal vs the best in the best in the NBA. All-Star Saturday Night wasn’t much better. The dunk contest is run by a G-League player who the league refuses to give an NBA contract. The other contestants are young, unknown players who don’t draw a lot of attention or viewership. The skills challenge was not exciting, with Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama by no means taking it seriously (yet that was the only exciting bit about it), and the 3 point contest was fine, but nothing special. Nothing like Curry v Ionescu from 3 point contests previously. The fans aren’t happy, the players seem uninterested, and with the massive success of the NHL’s 4-Nations Face-Off overshadowing the entire week, the NBA is left scratching their head.
It wasn’t always like this. The NBA All-Star game used to be a competitive event. With the likes of Jordan, Pippen, Bird, Hakeem, etc. dueling it out as if it was a regular game. We currently have the same amount of all-time greats (LeBron, Curry, Durant, Jokic, Giannis), yet without the same intensity. Heck, LeBron didn’t even play, he decided to sit out. The players don’t care as much nor try as hard. Is this a product though of the NBA game becoming less intense in general? A game from the 90s was a bloodbath. Today it's a shootout. The playoffs are still quite good, but the regular season has become abysmal. That has certainly bled into the All-Star game where close to zero defense is played. Players are also taking rest more seriously with more information on preventing injury being used (yet the injury rate seems much higher). In an 82 game season, plus playoffs, can you blame players for not trying too hard in a seemingly meaningless game?
That right there is the solution. Make the game more meaningful. The NHL managed to do so, and made their All-Star break more must-watch TV than the NHL regular season is. By adding national pride into the equation, it gives players something to fight for that they rarely get to. And even though the NHL has much more international representation than the NBA, there are still plenty of stars from outside of the United States (SGA, Giannis, Jokic, Wemby just to name a few). There maybe isn’t enough international talent yet to do a competitive four team playoff, but why not make it a USA vs the World? We all saw the hype that the Olympics got this summer. What if we brought that into every season. One game, all for bragging rights. The players are already calling. Let’s give them what they want so they can try and care, and in return we as fans get a much more exciting product. It is a win-win for all parties. You can keep the skills night and let Mac McClung win another dunk contest, but let's change the All-Star game itself, and bring the glory back to this great event.
Hey y’all! My name is Nate and I’m a statistics major with a sport and entertainment management minor. I am one half of the show “On the Bench” at WUSC. If you love sports, especially Gamecock athletics, you should give it a listen!