The NBA Only Created More Problems in Latest All-Star Game

Posted by author February 17, 2025 NBA

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I glanced at the clock as I glided into my parking spot – 6:55 p.m. CT.

When I first called to place my pizza order, I was worried I wouldn’t be back in time. Sure, we live in an era where you can pause and rewind live television, but why wouldn’t you prefer to watch a historic star-studded event in real-time? I snatched the bacon and pineapple pizza (don’t judge) from the passenger seat and sprinted toward the elevator. Perfect timing.

When the clock struck 6:58 p.m. CT, I was seated on my couch with three slices on a plate and a pilsner to my left. Some of my all-time favorite performers were about to appear on the same screen. A childish sense of giddiness consumed me as the NBA All-Star 2025 logo appeared …

It was finally time to change the channel!

The NBA All-Star Game wasn’t about to hijack the television from SNL50. No, that annually underwhelming event would be reserved for the much smaller laptop screen positioned on the ottoman beside me. To be sure, the league had every opportunity to put pressure on me to swap the two. They didn’t.

Whenever I shifted my eyes over to the new four-team All-Star game tournament, I barely saw a ball being dribbled. We all know the league likes to surround the action with bells and whistles, but commissioner Adam Silver took things to a level no one asked him to reach. Kevin Hart breathed in more air than any All-Star player. An appearance from YouTuber Mr. Beast brought the “how do you do, fellow kids” meme to life. Even the normally fun banter from the TNT crew felt like it took far too much away from the product on the floor.

Nothing quite reflects the awkwardness of the night better than when Hart stopped to poke fun at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander mid-game. The OKC guard is either a great actor or wasn’t particularly thrilled, and the latter would at least coincide with the many thoughts ESPN’s Tim Bontempos shared after the game. Whether it be Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, or Trae Young, multiple All-Stars expressed frustration with the long breaks in action and extracurricular activities.

Nobody denied that the NBA needed to try something new. Things reached an all-time low in 2024 when the East walked away with a wildly unserious and unwatchable 211-186 victory. With that in mind, I can appreciate Silver’s sense of urgency and creativity. He too misses 100 percent of the shots he doesn’t take.

We also should acknowledge that the basketball we did see – albeit minimal – at least appeared slightly more competitive. Shaq’s OGs team looked motivated to beat the Rising Stars champs. Victor Wembanyama deserves respect for making the most of his first-ever All-Star appearance, too. He genuinely gave fans a reason to be playfully optimistic about the future of the event, as the TNT broadcast caught him repeatedly encouraging his teammates to play hard.

Nevertheless, while one of the NBA’s brightest stars begs for more effort, another told ESPN that the league should accept that there always be a lack of it: “I think maybe we should focus on some other things than All-Star,” Nikola Jokic told Tim Bontemps. “I think it’s always going to be like this, so we should accept it.”

This has long been the NBA’s primary problem. Everyone has to be on the same page about supplying a competitive edge – or at least some semblance of one. I don’t even think it’s reprehensible that players don’t give 100 percent. Why should they be in a game that holds no meaning? Still, there is a painfully noticeable difference between respecting the game and treating it like a glorified layup line.

A great example of this was the 2020 All-Star Game in Chicago. Was it the stiffest of battles? No, we saw plenty of alley-oop attempts and near-halfcourt heaves, but the two sides kept it close enough to keep fans invested and make the final minutes matter. Something similar shouldn’t be too much to ask for year in and year out from many people who consider themselves among the most competitive people in the world.

At the same time, it shouldn’t be too much to ask for the league not to panic. They aren’t helping fans take the contest seriously by changing the structure every few years and stuffing the broadcast with nonsense. Believe it or not, NBA fans like basketball. Throw the ball up, let the game be played, and hope the players meet you halfway.

Last night the league did the exact opposite, somehow making an already meaningless game feel even more purposeless. Back to the drawing board, Adam.