Isiah Thomas recently voiced his disapproval of the current NBA All-Star Game format during a discussion with Mark Jackson on Jackson’s podcast. The conversation, laced with nostalgia and critique, delved into the perceived decline in competitiveness and the shift away from the tradition of showcasing elite basketball talent at its highest level.
Isiah Thomas: “What made the NBA and professional sports special is that the guys at the park, can’t do it. Now all our game is trying to emulate, what they doing on the streets, what they doing at the YMCA. When you become a pro, they aspire to do what you do.”
“We got it all backwards in the NBA right now, we trying to take it back to the park how we used to play as kids and the kids are saying, no trying to be like y’all in the NBA and the NBA said no, we want to be like y’all in the park and the kids are saying alright I’ll play NBA 2K then, casue we all the same.”
Mark Jackson: “You’re 100% right. My problem is and I hate to sound like an old school old head like get off my lawn type guy, but if we went to the All-Star game, it was East versus West.”
“You’re going to have Magic, Bird, Jordan, Isaiah having the discussion we’re going to compete, we’re gonna put on a show the greatest players in the world.”
“They’re setting the standard and the rest of us are going to abide by that standard and we’re gonna compete, whether it’s the All-Star Game or it’s Midsummer Night’s Madness, it could be the middle of the summer, we know there’s a certain period of time, we going to put on a clinic but then it’s going to be like okay to put the kids to bed, we going to play and compete at a high level.”
“My problem in today’s game is if you have the All-Star game, I can go get the highest jump of most athletic dude in the streets and he can get 40 in today’s All-Star game because he gonna catch lobs and he gonna get dunks that and he’s a fool if he thinks you can compete with those guys but we’re allowing it to be a sideshow instead of a platform where the best in the world put on a performance.”
Isiah Thomas: “I agree with you, that’s the danger now, because the way the game is played and the attitude that they bring to the All-Star game anybody now off the streets thinks that he can compete and they ain’t wrong for thinking that way because they’ve been allowed to think that way.”
Thomas criticized the All-Star Game’s current state, asserting that it has strayed from what made professional sports special Mark Jackson echoed Thomas’s sentiment, lamenting the loss of competition in what used to be a marquee event.
Thomas and Jackson agreed that the current format feeds into a troubling narrative: the gap between NBA athletes and recreational players is shrinking.
The critique comes amid growing discontent among NBA players themselves. Kevin Durant has been vocal about his preference for the traditional East versus West format and trashed the new format.
Similarly, Devin Booker and Anthony Davis have called for changes to reinvigorate the event. Victor Wembanyama, the league’s standout sophomore, has also expressed his desire to return to the competitive days of old, pledging to bring intensity to future All-Star appearances. On the other hand, LeBron James has acknowledged the need for changes.
Ultimately, Thomas and Jackson’s critique underscores a broader conversation about balancing entertainment and competition in the NBA. While the All-Star Game remains a celebration of the league’s brightest stars, its evolution has sparked debate about its purpose and direction.
Whether through reverting to traditional formats or reimagining the event entirely, it’s clear that fans, players, and legends alike yearn for an All-Star Game that once again showcases the very best basketball has to offer.
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