is the NBA All Star game a joke?

[MikeB12]

The highest winning scores of the all star game have been the last 3 years - 163, 163 and this years 196.

The game has always been relatively high scoring but it has reached ridiculous heights with yesterdays winning score of 196 points.

I refuse to watch the game...can't recall when I last watched the all star game because no one even attempts to play defense.   There is absolutely no team defense either obviously.

I also quit watching the NFL all star game but noticed this year the score was a low scoring affair with (surprise) defensive players actually making tackles and covering receivers.  I enjoyed the game which I did watch for the first time in years.

I wish the NBA could do something to make the game worth watching by asking the players to attempt to play some defense, but it won't happen.

MikeB

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

All-star games in any sport are kinda silly. Football's is irrelevant. Baseball has tried too hard to make theirs relevant, and in the process sometimes hurts the best regular-season team (as with this year's Cubs).

They should just name their all-stars and then give everyone 3 or 4 days off. But that won't happen, because that would cost them money.

[hpantazo]

Players have largely accepted the mentality that they should enjoy the recognition, just have fun, and not get injured. There absolutely no incentive for them to play hard. If the league did what MLB does for example and base home court advantage in the finals on the conference that wins the all-star game, things would change. Heck, even a moderate financial bonus to the players on the winning side would have a big impact. These guys would play for pride if they had money on the line.

[action781]

It's just the players today, the starters and superstars who set the tone for the game are very buddy-buddy and many have already played in enough games such that the competition of it doesn't matter.  I feel like Lebron used to compete before he got into his 11th 12th 13th ASG...  Kobe used to compete pretty much all the way til he retired...  Curry and Harden are more the highlight type rather than the defense type even in their normal regular season style of ball...

If the 2019 ASG somehow featured starters (closers, really) of: Wall, Giannis, Butler, Paul George, and Ben Simmons against Westbrook, Wiggins, Kawhi, Durant, Ant Davis I think we would see a more competitive game.  No chance that happens, but my example is more to speak to my feeling the lax style of the game is to blame more on who the ASG starters happen to be at this moment rather than an indictment on the game itself.  You're going to see 3 quarters of pickup ball, but really we just want to see real basketball in the 4th quarter which I think those starters (closers) would provide.  The closers now just follow the tone set by Lebron and Steph.

[Eja117]

The day Karl Malone set a pick for Kobe and Kobe waived him off to take on MJ one on one. That was the day the All Star game changed.

Stopped being a game and became a show. It became ESPNicized. I just made a word.

[GRADYCOLNON]

Absolute joke.  What is messed up is how it has some impact on how much money they can make

[SparzWizard]

Not a joke when IT4 and Brad Stevens is/was covertly recruiting other players to the Celtics 

[iadera]

It always was. But previous years it was a good joke.

[BE-Celtic]

I understand players don't want to get injured and all of that but then just don't make a game if it is to show this.

I wish I had the opinion of Adam Silver on the matter, because now even some players are starting to say they want to see more (some ?) defense. And I'm pretty sure that the All-star game will start to lose audience as time goes by. Honestly what's the point of the game ?

I believe players just don't have the pride of representing their conference. Maybe the game needs some kind of winning price for the confenrence who wins it...

Also, the dunk contest sucks. Today there are professional dunkers who do waaaaay better and you see these dunks everywhere on internet or even at the half-time of the all-star events.

I really just think it's a promotional week-end who gives players some rest, nothing more.

[hodgy03038]

Back when Red got ejected coaching the All Star game is when the games were real.

[Surferdad]

Yes, they only play half the game (offense).  The players let us fans down.


ASG used to have real competition.  Especially in the 2nd half, the competitive juices would flow and each team actually tried to win.  This was the Bird-Magic-Jordan era.  Those guys had too much pride in their craft to slack off on defense.

[hwangjini_1]

The highest winning scores of the all star game have been the last 3 years - 163, 163 and this years 196.

The game has always been relatively high scoring but it has reached ridiculous heights with yesterdays winning score of 196 points.

I refuse to watch the game...can't recall when I last watched the all star game because no one even attempts to play defense.   There is absolutely no team defense either obviously.

I also quit watching the NFL all star game but noticed this year the score was a low scoring affair with (surprise) defensive players actually making tackles and covering receivers.  I enjoyed the game which I did watch for the first time in years.

I wish the NBA could do something to make the game worth watching by asking the players to attempt to play some defense, but it won't happen.

MikeB

i think "farce" is the word you are looking for.

[trickybilly]

The highest winning scores of the all star game have been the last 3 years - 163, 163 and this years 196.

The game has always been relatively high scoring but it has reached ridiculous heights with yesterdays winning score of 196 points.

I refuse to watch the game...can't recall when I last watched the all star game because no one even attempts to play defense.   There is absolutely no team defense either obviously.

I also quit watching the NFL all star game but noticed this year the score was a low scoring affair with (surprise) defensive players actually making tackles and covering receivers.  I enjoyed the game which I did watch for the first time in years.

I wish the NBA could do something to make the game worth watching by asking the players to attempt to play some defense, but it won't happen.

MikeB

i think "farce" is the word you are looking for.

They should adopt the Harlem globetrotters model: whichever conference is winning at the break gets to be the trotters. The Washington Generals have to play the part in good faith, embarrassing their corporate sponsors.

Alternatively, expand the skills challenges (and only 'all-stars' can participate)