In an appearance on NBA Countdown before Game 3 of the Finals, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver got real on the state of the All-Star game. During the broadcast, Silver candidly explained that the time to incentivize to put on a competitive event may already have passed.
“My concern about USA vs. International is that we may be just past the point where guys and teams are incentivized to play a competitive All-Star game in the middle of the season. It’s just the nature of the league. I look back at last year and honestly, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and others spoke to them before the game. And I don’t think any of them set out thinking ‘I’m just not gonna play hard.’ It’s just this sort of group dynamic that takes over. I think about the Steph vs. Sabrina shoot-out last year, which was the highlight of All-Star weekend. I think we maybe need to do something that’s a little bit different. People want to see the players put their best foot forward but it’s got to be something more than just a game. Even if it were USA vs. International, there’s just something preventing them from playing all-out.”
"My concern about USA vs. International is that we may be just past the point where guys and teams are incentivized to play a competitive All-Star game in the middle of the season."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on potential changes to All-Star Weekend.pic.twitter.com/SLJu8TvzZu
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 13, 2024
The All-Star game has been a signature event for the NBA since 1951 between the American League and National League. The game eventually transformed into an entire weekend of events, including the dunk contest, three-point shootout, and the infamous skills challenge. Initially, All-Star weekend was widely celebrated and highly anticipated by the fans and it was seen as an example for the other major sports.
In recent years, however, the narrative around All-Star weekend has begun to shift. In the eyes of many critics, the dunk contest has grown stale, the shooting challenge is repetitive, and the actual game itself is hardly worth watching. Sunday’s big “showdown” got more and more high-scoring and the lack of defensive effort made for a brutal watch all the way around.
Today, the All-Star game is seen as a shell of its former glory. Ratings are on the sharp decline as the players just can’t be bothered to put in effort and make it worth watching. Last season, after Adam Silver promised it would be better, the players proceeded to score a combined 397 points.
While it makes sense for players to be cautious about putting their bodies on the line for a meaningless game, there’s got to be a balance in their effort. In its current state, the All-Star game is borderline unwatchable and the push to fix it has been gaining momentum.
Over the past few years and months, countless ideas have been suggested to improve the game, such as implementing a USA vs. World format or increasing the rewards for the winning team. So far, nothing has worked to increase the defensive intensity and it seems like not even Adam Silver is sure that it’s still possible to get the players to buy in.
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