NBA Fans know the All-Star game as a high-flying duel between the brightest NBA stars. Some of the most thrilling games we have seen include the 2003 All-Star game, which marked a competitive duel between Jordan and Kobe Bryant in Jordan’s final All-Star game. 

Another All-Star game of the past known for its competitive nature was the 2018 game in LA, which was the first year of the All-Star draft. Fans enjoyed the tightly contested game, as Team LeBron won the close battle with Team Stephen 148-145. A nice touch of this game that fans enjoyed was that each player represented their team’s logo on the front of their jersey, bringing some individual pride to the game.  

Recently, there has been a big controversy surrounding the All-Star game. Fans have complained that the All-Star game hasn’t been competitive, as the amount of defense has been lackluster at best.

From the players’ point of view, though, the risk of injury is too high to play defense and make the game competitive. 

One of the more competitive all-star games of the past several years was the 2020 game in Chicago, which was done in tribute to Kobe Bryant, who tragically passed away a few weeks before the game.

The game featured a thrilling victory for Team Lebron. One of the best moments of the game was when Kyle Lowry of Team Giannis drew an offensive foul at the very end of the game to seal the win for Team Lebron. These are the types of All-Star games fans are pleased with, as their favorite stars bring a competitive edge.  

In an attempt to bring more competitiveness and excitement to the all-star game, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver turned the game into a four-team tournament this year. NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley served as the GM of each of their teams. O’Neal, Smith, and Barkley chose their teams based on a theme.

O’Neal chose all of the older stars/OGs of the league, Smith chose all of the budding young stars, and Barkley chose the international stars of the league. 

 The fourth team that competed in the All-Star tournament was the winner of the Rising Stars Tournament. 

Many players weren’t pleased by the number of stoppages and the lack of basketball that came with the new format, though. Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks expressed his discomfort with the new format.

“To be honest, I didn’t like it at all, I didn’t like the breaks,” Young emphasized. “The games were so short. Obviously, we can score. So, they’re trying to…extend the game, extend the TV time with the breaks.” 

A possible solution for the recent player disinterest in the NBA All-Star game could be a US vs. World All-Star game. Much of the league’s top talent is starting to originate from overseas, so this could be a very fascinating solution to feature some of the NBA’s top stars in a different setting. Victor Wembanyana expressed his intrigue in this type of All-Star Game solution:

“I would love to. My opinion is that it’s more purposeful,” Wembanyana said. “There’s more pride in it. More stakes.”  

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks also backed Wembanyana’s interest in this possible new format.

“I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format,” Antetokounmpo said. “I would love that. For sure, I’d take pride in that. I always compete, but I think that will give me a little bit more extra juice to compete.” 

Overall, this year’s All-Star format was more entertaining than last year’s East vs. West showdown, which tallied a record-setting 397 total points between both teams. The game last year showcased the true lack of defense in the game, so the NBA is making the right decision in moving away from the original format.

As the NBA seems to be keen on keeping this format for the future, some changes that could be made include adding a consistent target score or making all baskets count for two points. These changes would lengthen the games and also prevent players from shooting only three-pointers the entire game. Another possible addition to the game could be that the team captains, who are determined by fan vote, choose the teams in a live format like the 2023 All-Star game. 

Even though some fans think that the All-Star games of past years have been repetitive, an event that has been consistently bringing the most excitement is the annual AT&T Slam Dunk Contest.

In a battle between young stars like Stephon Castle, Andre Jackson Jr, and Matas Buzelis, NBA G-League player Mac McClung stole the show. McClung brought riveting dunks and energy to the contest this year, earning him a three-peat in the dunk contest.

McClung’s continuous success in the dunk contest has inspired NBA stars to consider appearances in the dunk contest. 

Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies tweeted, “Mac might make me decide to dunk,” and Giannis Antetokoumpo of the Milwaukee Bucks responded with, “If you do it, I’ll do it with you.” 

Having stars like Morant and Antetokounmpo in the contest would bring a level of enthusiasm back to All-Star weekend. Morant has performed many breathtaking dunks in his career. Having stars that are inspired to do the dunk contest could help bring more talent to the dunk contest.

Ultimately, the NBA should keep the three-point contest, rising stars game, and dunk contest as it is, while making some tweaks to the All-Star game itself.  Both the 3-point contest and dunk contest are consistent highlights of the weekend, as well as the Rising Stars game, as it is a great kick-off event for the weekend to show off some of the NBA’s brightest young talent. 

As the NBA looks to make some changes to All-Star weekend, the potential for the weekend to become a staple of the sports calendar is endless.