Friday is the Celebrity Game and Rising Stars Game. Saturday is a Skills Competition, Three-Point Shootout, and Dunk Contest. Sunday is the All-Star Game. Every NBA All-Star Weekend is the same. Sprinkle in some community service events, old-timers’ roundtable, musical guests… the blueprint is repeated every season. Slight variations to each event can happen from year to year, but this is what we have. And every year, the NBA gets the same complaints.
The Skills Competition is lame. The Three-Point Shootout doesn’t have the best shooters in it. We have seen every dunk. They don’t play hard in the All-Star Game. These are the main complaints in some form or fashion.
We used to be a country. And have effort. Look how much these dudes cared pic.twitter.com/rzzBbdJSAr
— aaron. (@ayroned) February 19, 2024
However, based on the ratings, NBA All-Star Weekend is doing just fine. Here is why there is nothing wrong with NBA All-Star Weekend.
Player Break
The All-Star Weekend is a break for the players during a long season. The grind begins during the summer with the start of training camp. Between practices, road trips, and games, there is minimal downtime. The season’s beginning used to be when new players were learning to jell, and coaches would tinker with lineups and schemes. Now, there is the NBA In-Season Tournament, where competition is at an early high. While you are out enjoying winter holidays, the NBA has a full slate of games. The first game checks don’t even roll in until November. All-Star is the only real break the players get until the season ends in April. Imagine if your season ends in June and you get selected to play in the Olympics!
Please don’t take it from me. Hear out Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards.
"It’s a break. I don’t think nobody wants to come here and compete."
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) February 19, 2024
— Anthony Edwards on the All-Star pic.twitter.com/kKtfgVstHF
Problems Debunked
No one seems to have any real issues with the Friday night events. Saturday has the big three events: Skills Competition, Three Point Shootout, and Dunk Contest. But what is the problem?
The Skills Competition has had many different variations over the years. However, the current team format is entertaining the crowd just fine.
Sprinkled in after the Three-Point Shootout was a unique one-on-one shooting competition between future Hall-of-Famer Steph Curry and New York Liberty superstar Sabrina Ionescu. This matchup drew a ton of attention and was very entertaining. The main event was also competitive, as several rounds of tie-breakers were required to determine a champion.
The main draw of the Dunk Contest is that it is talked about whether it was great or terrible. Multiple dunks over Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal are impressive, even if the dunkers are not household names.
ALL ANGLES Of Mac McClung's 50-PT Dunk Over Shaq 🏆#ATTSlamDunk https://t.co/FYZ2B43XRq via @YouTube
— Belly Up Sports Writer (NBA) (@thaherojoe) February 21, 2024
The All-Star Game
Lastly, we have the All-Star Game. A game in which one team scored over 200 points! Timberwolves star center Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 50 points for the losing team. Again, I ask… what is the problem? These guys get one thirty-minute practice together the day before the game. They aren’t trying to get hurt. Offense is a skill. The All-Star game leans into the offensive side of the ball a lot more than the defensive side. It’s much like pickup games at the park. The three-point shooting, particularly from Three-Point Shootout champ and All-Star Game MVP Damian Lillard, would have been a difficult cover regardless of the defensive intensity.
The fans have actual voting input into who gets selected for the game, but defensive stalwarts like Rudy Gobert and Derrick White didn’t receive enough support.
Little Tweaks Are All You Need
Right off the bat, I would tweak the rule that installed Doc Rivers as the coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Rivers replaced the fired Adrian Griffin as Milwaukee Bucks coach and is 3-7 on the season.
Adding monetary incentives for the Dunk Contest participants is a failed initiative. Any extra monetary funds should be directed to local charities.
Vince Carter confirms that the NBA had plans to offer four superstars $1 million each to participate in the dunk contest, but the arrangement fell through when guys pulled out
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 20, 2024
"It was Kobe, T-Mac, LeBron…But guys didn't want to do it."
(Via @RunItBackFDTV ) pic.twitter.com/eAj8d319an
Instead, I would look to change up the judging. The inconsistent scoring was confusing. Installing a fan voting component could add an exciting dynamic.
All-Star weekend is the opportunity to hear NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speak candidly about the NBA’s successes, failures, and future endeavors. Every year, entertaining arguments are provided for who should be on or off the All-Star rosters. The likes of future superstars like San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama will come to compete on defense. The economic boost to host cities is measurable and welcome. The anecdotal stories, the highlights, the players, and the fans make NBA All-Star Weekend a fun experience for people attending. Continue making tweaks to make it fun to watch again.
Photo Credit for featured cover image: Getty Images.
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