NBA All-Star Festivities Weekend Thread (Paolo is busy and booked!)

[SOUL]

"Back in my day, players would risk their ACLs going all out for MY all star entertainment!"

[ORLMagicGirl15]

"Back in my day, players would risk their ACLs going all out for MY all star entertainment!"

And yet, back in my day there weren’t many injuries when the players went all out for My all star entertainment.

[SOUL]

"Back in my day, players would risk their ACLs going all out for MY all star entertainment!"

And yet, back in my day there weren’t many injuries when the players went all out for My all star entertainment.

I think as a whole, NBA fans have become really whiny and entitled TBH. But there is some merit to these complaints.

For fans going to the event in person, I feel for them because a lot of these fans can't really see these players on a regular basis so you want to see them compete a bit more now.

But.. there's a reason why NFL, NHL (basically anybody but MLB) have revamped their all-star games - whatever worked before isn't working anymore. Players aren't trying to go all out for bragging rights. The other events people have seen most of what can be done, so there's no more cheap, fun thrills.

If I was commish I'd do something like the NHL does with those special outdoor games, but make it for the ASG, and have some sort of stakes to it. Creates a fun atmosphere and the players may play a bit harder.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1y20xq/would_you_like_to_see_the_all_star_game_taken/

^this is 10 years ago, people act like it's some new thing that these guys are just wanting to get a few days off

[ORLMagicGirl15]

"Back in my day, players would risk their ACLs going all out for MY all star entertainment!"

And yet, back in my day there weren’t many injuries when the players went all out for My all star entertainment.

I think as a whole, NBA fans have become really whiny and entitled TBH. But there is some merit to these complaints.

For fans going to the event in person, I feel for them because a lot of these fans can't really see these players on a regular basis so you want to see them compete a bit more now.

But.. there's a reason why NFL, NHL (basically anybody but MLB) have revamped their all-star games - whatever worked before isn't working anymore. Players aren't trying to go all out for bragging rights. The other events people have seen most of what can be done, so there's no more cheap, fun thrills.

If I was commish I'd do something like the NHL does with those special outdoor games, but make it for the ASG, and have some sort of stakes to it. Creates a fun atmosphere and the players may play a bit harder.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1y20xq/would_you_like_to_see_the_all_star_game_taken/

^this is 10 years ago, people act like it's some new thing that these guys are just wanting to get a few days off

I am all for giving these players a break, which is the reason why they have extra days after the all star games. I don’t know if people remembered but there used to be games right after but players asked for more time because those in the festivities never actually got a break. But if you’re going to charge people for a game with no competition, honestly just cancel the Sunday night game. Don’t make people pay for that.

It would be fun to see them play like pro-am style. See more basketball pick-up style instead of NBA basketball.

[Optimus_Steel]

It’s pretty simple for me, if people are paying to see you compete then you try hard. The whole rest thing it’s insane when players are getting several extra days during all star break which wasn’t the case in the past. Yes the players have become entitled and whinny.

[SOUL]

It’s pretty simple for me, if people are paying to see you compete then you try hard. The whole rest thing it’s insane when players are getting several extra days during all star break which wasn’t the case in the past.

It depends what compete and try hard really mean though.

Does it mean try at the end of quarters/4th quarter when the game is close, which has been happening since 2000? If so, I think that's a realistic goal.

Or are we talking about 80's level ASG effort? Because that was totally different.

I was watching old ones even in the 90's and like 3/5 plays were still open dunks/lax defense.

[Skybox]

As long as people will pay absurd amounts to see and be seen…the circus continues…it’s just a sign of the era

[tiderulz]

i mean, players just dont want to play as much anymore. Jaylen Brown signed a deal worth $60mil a year and he doesnt even want to play 60 games a year. so he would make over $1mil/game.

[ORLMagicGirl15]

To me it’s simple, if you’re not going to try then please make interesting or excited plays. Last year, I think, it was fun watching Steph break the 3 point record in an all star game. I remember a couple years before that, they were doing better dunks in the game then the actual dunk competition.

But jogging up and down the court only to settle for shooting 1000 3-pointer? I’ll pass.

[pepe1991]

"Back in my day, players would risk their ACLs going all out for MY all star entertainment!"

Ehh.
Point of allstar game was fanstasy basketball, watch Jordan play with Bird, T mac with Iverson , Melo with Wade , Lebron with KG etc and feel crazy amount of talent on a court.
Nobody ever expected grindhouse of nba finals on defense.


But over years it turned into complete mockery.

And it's not like nobody noticted it. Youtubers are flaming how this is worst ASG ever played, ex players ( Redick for example) agreeing it was complete waste of time, ex players hate it, current nba mass media hates it, fans hate it. So who actually enjoyed it ? Nobody?
It got really bad, even Igoudala said ( btw, current executive director of Player's as.) that players got cought into uncompetitive basketball.
Lebron said something between lines that some of nba regular season games are pretty much same as ASG.

Not players, they literally all went out in one way or another and said they treat it as a rest days.

And current way how players play in allstar game does not feel like basketball game. It's a shooting practice with occesional free path dunks in it.
One team attemped 97 threes. Other 71.

168 three point attemps in 48 min. That's near four- thee point attemps per min. 3 fouls total were commited.


On list of 12 most poitns scored by individual player in allstar game all time- 7 of them did it in past 7 years, But that's not all- 3 of them in past 2 years
It's just complete mockery of basketball and it's just matter of a game where some Luka/Trae/Towns/whoever decides to score 100 points . it's not like anybody will be there to stop him, it will be just his decision to do it.

I mean, current leader in most points scored ever on allstar game is Tatum. With all due respect to him, he is hardly top 5 player today, let alone one of best to ever do it.


It's not about tradition, times change, but if we keep this up, while our regular season starts to look more and more like allstar game, where execlly are we headed? To a league where bunch of players average 40 points a game and claim they are new GOATs because of it, because nobody plays any defense?


Sports without competition are not sports. They are WWE/Harlem Globetrotters . Pure entertaiment that didn't stand well against test of time because i don't care about result of fake event, there are lot of flashy moves in it, but without competitive edge people just drift away from it.

[SOUL]

I think there's enough attention on it now that there will be some sort of change next year, for sure. Nobody seems happy with it. No argument from me there. I just am not going to get brainwashed like last 15 years was much better. Wow, they cared more in the last 5 minutes of the 4th, do they want a cookie?

Again, if it's about those 5-10 minutes being more competitive, I'm all for it - especially for those wanting to see a fun product. Most opinions are from 18-25 year old youtubers and Twitter posters that have never seen a competitive All-Star game outside of Kobe tribute 2020.

Nostalgia is a bitch. I remember growing up with certain music and songs and being like "Wow, this is garbage" - I go to the comment section of a video nowadays, people are like "They don't make classics like this anymore, new music sucks" - it's just like.. there is always good and bad in any era. The age of certain things just clouds judgment.

Modern society gets bored watching 2 minute youtube videos now, everything has to be 20 seconds or less.

MLB has their all star weekend perfect because it has two big draws - Home Run Derby and All Star Game. Both are quite simple in execution. HR Derby = mashing homers. Not having to impress in any sort of way like thinking of new dunks. ASG for them doesn't need too much more effort. Pitchers only pitching one inning, batters having same hand-eye coordination.

Unfortunately, the game itself has gotten very boring until recently with offense going opposite way of NBA problem - pitching was too good. They started trying to fix that the last few years.

I just think the way things are nowadays, anything outside of competition of some level not seen since the 80s, nobody will be satisfied.

[Furinkazan]

I think there's enough attention on it now that there will be some sort of change next year, for sure. Nobody seems happy with it. No argument from me there. I just am not going to get brainwashed like last 15 years was much better. Wow, they cared more in the last 5 minutes of the 4th, do they want a cookie?

Again, if it's about those 5-10 minutes being more competitive, I'm all for it - especially for those wanting to see a fun product. Most opinions are from 18-25 year old youtubers and Twitter posters that have never seen a competitive All-Star game outside of Kobe tribute 2020.

Nostalgia is a bitch. I remember growing up with certain music and songs and being like "Wow, this is garbage" - I go to the comment section of a video nowadays, people are like "They don't make classics like this anymore, new music sucks" - it's just like.. there is always good and bad in any era. The age of certain things just clouds judgment.

Modern society gets bored watching 2 minute youtube videos now, everything has to be 20 seconds or less.

MLB has their all star weekend perfect because it has two big draws - Home Run Derby and All Star Game. Both are quite simple in execution. HR Derby = mashing homers. Not having to impress in any sort of way like thinking of new dunks. ASG for them doesn't need too much more effort. Pitchers only pitching one inning, batters having same hand-eye coordination.

Unfortunately, the game itself has gotten very boring until recently with offense going opposite way of NBA problem - pitching was too good. They started trying to fix that the last few years.

I just think the way things are nowadays, anything outside of competition of some level not seen since the 80s, nobody will be satisfied.

15 years back....but what about 30-40 years back?
I can agree with you to an extent but not in total.When you watch these old games its not like they cared more for like 5-10 minutes.
They defend whole effing game or at least they maybe sell it better because it sure looks like agressive def and an actuall interesting competitive game overall..and Im not even that old to feel nostalgia that far back so argument is kind of invalid.

[Furinkazan]

overall I think players got spoiled...imo
they can do it so they do it

[Furinkazan]

As long as people will pay absurd amounts to see and be seen…the circus continues…it’s just a sign of the era

I dont know about that seems like less and less people are watching it but overall ratings are up due to how they count viewers

UNIQUE VIEWERS who can tune in for 1 minute and are still counted

Watch on YouTube

[pepe1991]

As long as people will pay absurd amounts to see and be seen…the circus continues…it’s just a sign of the era

I dont know about that seems like less and less people are watching it but overall ratings are up due to how they count viewers

UNIQUE VIEWERS who can tune in for 1 minute and are still counted

Watch on YouTube

ultimate race through channels "viewership"

[pepe1991]

I think allstar game downfall is just indicator of much bigger issue. And root issue feels like Adam Silver himself.

Player's empowerment lead league where execlly? On wild ring chase,stars contenders hooping, active players having own player's agency to extract talent from smaller team with agenda of helping owner of agency ( Lebron- Clutch Sports- Anthony Davis- Lakers ).
Injury maintainance, "DNP- Old" and other bullsh*** started to pop, on any given night you have no clue who will play.

Now we are in demage control mode where you have to put mandatory number of games played to "force" players into even bothering to show up for 65+ games.




On list of leading scorers from 2022-23, first 36 playres- haven't played 80 games. Matter of fact 21 out of 30 didn't even play 70 games.

It's complete joke. Yes nba season is long and grinding but this is how 2007-8 season leading scorers table looked like



9 out of 11 played at least 70 games. 3 played 80 games or more.


Now you have situation where players play less, are payed way more, their effort level on given nights is laughable and they carry themselfs like they are god's gift to Earth. Sure, all nba eras had egocentric stars but it's bad look for a league where guy like Anthony Edwards is running his mouth how Allstar game is "break " , given he is 23 years old and has won 0 playoff series in his life. What a f*** are you resting from? You are 23 years old who makes $217 000 000 of playing kids game.


I'm not sure where NBA will turn once Lebron retires. It feels like they have zero clue how to market non american players, mostly because executives of a league lean heavy onto left spectrum of american politics. Instad of finally figuring out nba is more than american league and finally starting to brand guys like Jokic, Giannis, Luka ( soon Victor).

And why people gave positive feedback to mid season tournament? Because it felt like games were meaningful. More of that , less of wwe- allstar "game".

And as far as allstar fear of ACL tear goes as soul mentioned, who was last player injuried during allstar game? Wade broke Kobe's nose 12 years ago? As far as i know ,nobody actually got hurt during allstar game in past 30 years. Given that players play against 9-5 average Joes every summer, i don't know how showing up with LITTLE more effort would boost their ACL-tear-probability more than being guarded by guy who hates his life and is out there to blow up some steam after flipping burgers for 12 hours.

[Last Guardian]

I watched a few minutes of the 1987 all star game on YouTube. Wow, they literally are playing it like an actual game and playing competitive from the jump.

Personally think the only thing that makes it look old is the quality of video and the short shorts. Its actually a better brand of basketball. And yes, they did actually shoot 3's.

[CZ Eddie]

What's the best way to contact McClung and actually get noticed?
I've got a killer idea for next years Dunk contest.
Something nobody has ever done and would be great, and relate to "him".
Not a specific jump, but a great way to stand out while doing the jump.
Twitter DM or Facebook DM? I don't have any other social media and don't even pay attention to these two.

[CZ Eddie]

The Lakeland team isn't scheduled to play in Austin again till next year, so I've missed my chance for an in-person meet.

[pepe1991]

What's the best way to contact McClung and actually get noticed?
I've got a killer idea for next years Dunk contest.
Something nobody has ever done and would be great, and relate to "him".
Not a specific jump, but a great way to stand out while doing the jump.
Twitter DM or Facebook DM? I don't have any other social media and don't even pay attention to these two.

Instagram.
me and my ex GF were messing around on instagram when Rudež was on Orlando and liked his photos, next day he liked her photo