All-star weekends are supposed to be a time for extra fun during the regular seasons, for both the fans and athletes. While the individual skills competitions are always exciting to watch (three-point contest, dunk contest, etc.), unfortunately, the main event has become more and more underwhelming, and this isn’t going unnoticed.
NBA and WNBA All-Star games bring the most athletic basketball players to one court to battle it out against each other. In these games, there is no Olympic gold medal on the line, and when there’s a lack of incentive for players to put effort into the games, athletes don’t feel the need to put on a show and truly compete against the best of the best.
The past two NBA All-Star games recorded the lowest viewership ratings in its history according to Sports Grid. Contrastingly, the WNBA reeled in some of its best viewership ratings for its All-Star game. According to ESPN, 3.44 million viewers tuned in to watch talented athletes actually put effort into this game. While these games don’t mean anything in the sense of statistics for players and teams, some athletes have completely disregarded the purpose of these events. This time around, The Daily Illini sports editors are happy to share their thoughts on the atmosphere of All-Star games and whether the manner in which the athletes participate in these games should be altered.
Tess (Throw away): The current format of All-Star games in the professional basketball leagues must be changed so that fans can legitimately get excited to watch the best athletes compete against each other. While it may be “just for fun” at the end of the day, this does not mean that these athletes have a right to ignore the expectations for these games. People attend these events with hopes of seeing LeBron James and Luka Dončić put on entertaining performances. However, they leave with disappointment when they see absolutely no defense and no hustle on the court. The WNBA All-Stars have taken a different approach, and especially now that they are bringing in more views than ever, they know what’s at stake during these games. They are deciding to put their eagerness and rejuvenation on the court to actually put on a show for the fans, which is how the games should be.
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Ben (Throw away): I agree with Tess completely. What we have today just isn’t cutting it anymore, and I’m not really sure how we got away from the competitive games of each league’s top-tier talent. The MLB All-Star game is the only one I would attend now because I don’t want to watch Steph and Tyrese Maxey trading 45-foot shots in the second quarter of a 76-59 game. The viewership is definitely a problem for the league, and I’m sure the league office is putting together a plan, but they aren’t as fortunate as the WNBA in scheduling to produce Team USA vs. the rest of the league. So what does need to happen? I’m a huge fan of making a little tournament like they had for the Rising Stars game this year. Smaller teams, two-quarter games and financial prizes to the winners. This should elevate the competition, allow fans to see more of the league’s best players in action (nobody rides the bench) and have players trying hard to win once again!
Sahil (Throw Away): Bring me back to the 2020 NBA All-Star game. I had the pleasure of attending the game in Chicago, and even in the nosebleeds, there was palpable excitement. People were excited to watch a game where the players actually seemed invested. The target score ending made the fourth quarter a competitive, intense pickup game that came down to a couple of points making the difference instead of a timed showcase of flashy dunks and no defense. It was also the first year where each team played for a charity, giving the players another factor to be motivated by. It was easily one of the most exciting All-Star games I have watched. After 2020 though, it has been a mixed bag, with some years being competitive and others inducing boredom, especially the 2024 All-Star game.
This year, the NBA brought back the East versus West format, and that did nothing to increase effort by the players. The $100,000 prize for each player on the winning team may be a lot of money to the everyday person, but to NBA stars making tens of millions each season, it is not enough to cause a competitive game to occur. What’s the solution? I would switch up the format completely and change it year by year. The NBA could back the target score, do a tournament-style event with multiple teams, try a half-court game in the style of Ice Cube’s Big3 league or even bring in a team from the Rising Stars challenge to try and knock off the All-Stars. Adam Silver, it’s time to get creative. The fans deserve better from a weekend that is supposed to showcase the league’s best.
Conor (Stay): At the end of the day, it’s hard for me to be upset about a lack of effort in an exhibition game. Both leagues have tried to spice things up with the NBA introducing $100,000 payouts to all players on the winning team and the WNBA pivoting to Team WNBA versus Team USA during the Olympic years (2004-2024). They have also experimented with the top two All-Stars being named captains who personally draft a team of players from the pool of All-Stars in both leagues. In 2022, they even allowed A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart to trade players following the All-Star draft. One of their most successful additions was last year’s NBA vs. WNBA Three-Point Challenge, which drew TNT’s highest viewership of the entire weekend according to TNT PR (5.4M).
Despite all of this effort, the same complaints pop up every year. If the leagues were sitting on their hands and refusing to adapt I’d consider it a problem, but year after year we end up with a new ripple in the fold. It is clear that both leagues are trying to drum up hype, which is good enough for me.
