To save the NBA All-Star Game it needs to become easier to watch

[TMC]

https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/to-s...-to-watch.html

By Velodus on 02/24/2023

The results are in for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game and they’re very, very bad. Sunday’s exhibition garnered a horrendous 4.6 million viewers, making it by far the least watched version of the league’s All-Star Game in history. The primary reason for that number appears obvious: the game was not only uncompetitive but unwatchable, with such little genuine basketball being played, even on the low standard of NBA All-Star games, that virtually everyone who came away from it agreed that the product was embarrassing – including the players and coaches who took part in it. That would seem to suggest an obvious fix to this ratings disaster: the game just needs to be more competitive and viewers will come back to it. Simple, right? Well, no, because even if this game was close and featured a modicum of defense, the ratings were going to be meh no matter what, as evidenced by the fact that they weren’t amazing the year before when the game was actually close. The All-Star Game has a bigger problem than basketball going on, and that problem is the event itself, as a piece of television, has become way too difficult to watch.

It’s wild to say that, because the inherent appeal of All-Star games is that they are easily accessible for casual fans. All-Star games are supposed to be games where the best players in the league play with each other; by no means should that be something that comes with a learning curve. And yet the NBA, in their overzealous quest to make the inherently imperfect exhibition game more interesting, has mutated it to such an extent that it practically requires a strategy guide to follow now. The changes the league have made are producing diminishing returns and are now an active roadblock for casual fans to keep up with, and that’s before we even get to the basketball.

[Yong Fang]

I think maybe an issue with "All Star" games is simply of having players who have never played with each other and dont know how to play in a cohesive group and it tends to just turn into a "showboating" contest, no real defense (because the game is pointless, unless the winners get paid a bonus, I am sure they do, but dont know how that works), plus the chances of injury to a roster's best player, to again, an exhibition contest.

Can a team not release a player for the contest? Maybe the team is a bit over .500 (the NBA takes half the teams in their playoff) and that player is vital, the player gets hurt in the exhibition contest, then the team suffers from it, doesnt get in the playoff which might have ramifications of the coach getting fired. I dont want NBA but follow it a bit because my city has a team, and there seems to be a lot of parity, but its easier to let the best player of a suckass 10-31 squad to be in it because the team has little to lose if the guy gets hurt.

[Duster76]

The 4.6 million figure is a large enough audience to keep the All Star game going. At this point all the All Star games exist for the sole purpose of providing TV programming and additional merchandising opportunities (specialized tee shirts, hats, balls and bats, jerseys). One day the audience levels may sink low enough that the games will be eliminated. There is absolutely no competitive reason for them to exist, the Pro Bowl isn't even a football game anymore, they're playing 7 on 7 flag football!

[TMC]

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but the NBA All-Star Game for one thing, really needs to go back to the classic and traditional East vs. West format. I don't care at all of the recent concept of having team captains (made up of the two players who got the most votes by fans from each conference) pick and lead a random, "fantasy league" type of team.

It's hard to get invested because you're essentially, having to root for the individual instead of the team as a cohesion unit. It's much easier for me to follow each team is which if they're simply divided by geographical alignment instead of being a mishmash of drafted players.

[TMC]

The NBA All Star Game has become less and less entertaining over the past couple of years, and it's sparking the debate of if the NBA should keep trying to fix it or if it might be time to try something new.

There were plenty of entertaining moments from the NBA All Star Weekend, with Mac McClung having some of the most electric dunks we've seen from an NBA Dunk Contest in years. The NBA Three Point Contest was at least remotely entertaining, with Damian Lillard securing his first win against Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, but the All Star Game itself felt underwhelming an lackluster.

The NBA All Star 2023 Weekend was just another underwhelming entry in a long line of boring All Star games.

[Yong Fang]

Basketball is large black men putting an orange ball through a hoop.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TMC

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but the NBA All-Star Game for one thing, really needs to go back to the classic and traditional East vs. West format. I don't care at all of the recent concept of having team captains (made up of the two players who got the most votes by fans from each conference) pick and lead a random, "fantasy league" type of team.

It's hard to get invested because you're essentially, having to root for the individual instead of the team as a cohesion unit. It's much easier for me to follow each team is which if they're simply divided by geographical alignment instead of being a mishmash of drafted players.

This is a comprehensive video on the six years the NBA decided to implement the All-Star Game Draft. After just six years the NBA is returning to the old East vs. West Format. We got some mixed moments from the Draft and it definitely could have been handled better.

[TMC]

Discussing the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.

Following yet again another blowout win in this year's NBA All-Star Game, our 'Follow The Money,' experts dive into the question swirling around the league, is the the NBA All-Star Game unfixable at this point?

Steiny and Evan react to the abysmal performance from All-Star Weekend.

Michael Smith and Michael Holley react to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, discussing ways the league could make the game more engaging and competitive.

Chiney Ogwumike, Kendrick Perkins and Austin Rivers tear the NBA All-Star Game apart after the East scored 211 PTS in their outing vs. the West.

[Dead2009]

The best part of the NBA All Star Weekend is the contests, like the slam dunk and the 3 point shootout. Though commentary was horrible during both, it's like the guys were there to just crap all over everybody.

[TMC]

The NBA All-Star Game is this weekend in Indianapolis and honestly both of us had forgotten. The All-Star Game used to be one of the highlights of the NBA Calendar, but in recent years has devolved into a parody of itself. Nothing but three pointers and dunks, with little to no defense being played. We hope this weekend's game will put on a good show but considering the past decade of all star games, the event has definitely declined.

200 Points, 25 open layups, a million threes and not 5 seconds of defense. Hope you enjoy.

[TMC]

The NBA All-Star Game has been dead for years and lots of people have ideas on how to fix it but how did it get so bad in the first place? It turns out the death of the All-Star game can be traced back to one moment in NBA history.