The East defeated the West, 211-186, in the latest uncompetitive NBA All-Star game on Sunday, February 18. There was no defense, low energy, and a record 397 points scored.
So, now the question becomes, is it possible to fix the NBA All-Star game?
The format was switched back to the East-West, after six years where two captains picked players in a draft.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in his All-Star game press conference, “We tried a new approach, and initially, it was received positively. And then the fans and the players grew tired of it.”
Indiana Pacers beat reporter Tony East, shared a clip shared on Twitter/X of All-Star Tyrese Haliburton speaking back in January about the emphasis the league was putting on making the All-Star game more competitive. Haliburton says in the clip “They met with every team before the season started about the significance of being more competitive.”
Still, there are some like the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ Anthony Edwards, who have made it clear they will never view the game as competitive.
“For me, it’s an All-Star Game, so I don’t think I will ever look at it like being super competitive. It’s always fun. But I don’t know what they can do to make it more competitive. It’s like a break, I don’t think nobody wants to come here and compete.”
Jaylen Brown, Anthony Davis Weigh In
Whatever measures the league took to increase competitiveness and interest in the actual game itself, it appears it wasn’t enough this time.
Jaylen Brown chimed in, addressing how balancing trying to be competitive with not wanting to get hurt is hard to do.
“There was definitely some discussions, I guess guys are trying to figure out how to do that at the same time as having fun, being safe, being injury-free. I guess more solutions need to be had to figure that out.”
Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers echoed Brown’s thoughts.
“Obviously the fans and the league and everybody wants to be competitive, but then you also as players think about trying not to get hurt. Obviously, injuries are a part of the game, and no one wants to get hurt in the All-Star Game. All these guys here are very valuable to their teams. So it’s some mixed emotions about it. You try to go out there and compete a little bit and not just be a highlight show.
“But at the same time, do you guys really want to see somebody going down for a dunk and somebody going to contest it and, God forbid, something happens in the All-Star Game when it could have been avoided?”
Other Possible Solutions for NBA All-Star Game
As several players noted, it is difficult to incentivize players to give maximum effort, or even 50% effort, in a meaningless game. Their careers depend on their bodies, and no one wants to get injured in a game like that.
So, what can the league do to increase the incentive? One possible solution would be to look at In-Season Tournament. The tournament was widely received as a success, and the major reason that players got into it was the money, as players of the winning team each received $500,000.
Another possibility would be to make the game centered around charity, with the winning team getting a donation to the charity of their choosing.
Another possibility could be to make the game USA vs. The World, with international players competing on one team.
Whatever the solution is, Silver and the league have a year to discuss options and attempt to bring a better, competitive, product next year.
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NBA Stars Sound Off on Competitiveness of 397-Point All-Star Game