Kevin Durant Theorizes Why Players Aren’t Interested In Playing Hard In The All-Star Game

Kevin Durant had a theory on why NBA players do not play hard in the All-Star game anymore.

3 Min Read

Credit: Brian Westerholt-USA TODAY Sports

Interest in the NBA’s All-Star game has been on the decline in recent years and the latest iteration of the game was an absolute disaster.

The players were heavily criticized for not taking the game seriously at all and Kevin Durant has a theory on why the stars aren’t playing hard in these games.

“My theory on it is, All-Star Weekend for us as players, the draw is like the eight-day break,” Durant said. “Even if you’re an All-Star you still get those three or four days. Look at Jayson Tatum, played 50 games already, high minutes. I think guys are thinking about that more so than putting on a show during the game. Because before, you go from might play Thursday, Friday, cruise into the All-Star break and then you play on Tuesday or Wednesday. So, you’re still in that game mode a little bit. You know you can’t relax, maybe that is one of the reasons why guys might not be as interested in the weekend.”

The NBA extended the break in the 2014-15 season and maybe it does become too long which leads to players relaxing a little bit. When Luka Doncic was asked what he was looking forward to the most heading into his 4th All-Star game, he hilariously replied it was a trip to Mexico after the game. The players look at the whole thing as a mini-vacation of sorts as would most in their situation.


Stephen Curry Spoke On How The NBA Can Fix The All-Star Game

The 2023 All-Star game was the lowest-rated and least-watched edition of the game, which is a disastrous outcome for the NBA. While the game wasn’t fun by any means, the absence of some stars like Durant, who has averaged 29.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 5.2 APG this season, due to injury definitely had some part to play in the low ratings as well. 

Stephen Curry was also not available and he gave a solution on how to fix the All-Star game, as he stated that the NBA needs to ease up on the obligations the players have in the lead-up to the game. He made it clear that the players have to play harder but said they get too fatigued with all the photo shoots and media appearances prior to the game. We’ll wait and see if the NBA takes into consideration what two of their superstars have to say.

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Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
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