INDIANAPOLIS — After months of emphasizing the importance of having a more competitive product on the court for this weekend's All-Star Game, NBA commissioner Adam Silver doubled down on Saturday night, declaring: “I think we're going to see a good game” at the NBA's annual midseason showcase at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.
But after the 73rd All-Star Game looked exactly like last year's lackluster performance in Salt Lake City, with the Eastern Conference setting the all-time scoring record by becoming the first team to surpass 200 points in the which was ultimately a 211-186 victory. on the Western Conference: Silver's annoyance at what happened was clearly visible.
“And for the Eastern Conference All-Stars, you guys scored the most points,” Silver said flatly. “Well… congratulations.”
It was a fitting end to an evening that did nothing to stop discussions about what the future of the NBA's midseason marquee event should look like. The NBA worked to make this game a priority for its players all season, and both Silver and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, the NBA's executive vice president and chief basketball operations officer, repeatedly said that getting more All-Stars effort was a priority.
Instead, it was another game with virtually no defense and little to no life inside the building, to the point that Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers said his most memorable moment was when the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers teams met. were. through his dunk routines between the third and fourth quarters.
“I think the best [moment]”We were talking about it, it was the Bulls and the Pacers,” Davis said. “With the trampoline? “They were very, very impressive.”
And ultimately, Sunday's game left things exactly where they were a year ago: with the NBA rising to the fact that this weekend, one of the biggest events on its calendar, ended with a thud, and players almost universally admit that, while they sympathize with efforts to improve the event, it's not as simple as deciding to play a little harder.
“I think it's something we have to figure out,” said Lakers star LeBron James, who set a new record with his 20th All-Star Game appearance on Sunday night but did not play in the second half due to to an injury to his left ankle. “Obviously, from a player's perspective, it's fun to go up and down. But at the end of the day, our competitive nature doesn't like free-flowing scoring like that.
“But I think the good thing that came out tonight was that none of the players were injured and they all came out unscathed or how they were before the game started. So it's a deeper conversation.”
“Obviously the fans, the league and everyone want to be competitive, but you also, as players, think about trying not to get hurt,” Davis said. “Obviously injuries are part of the game, and nobody wants to get hurt in the All-Star Game… All these guys here are very valuable to their teams. So there are some mixed emotions about it. You try to go out and compete a little bit and you don't just be a highlight reel. But at the same time, do you really want to see someone dunk and someone contest it and, God forbid, something happens in the All-Star Game when it could have been avoided?
Then there was Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who admitted he wasn't interested in playing that hard in an All-Star Game, period.
“To me, it's an All-Star Game, so I'll never consider it super competitive,” he said. “It's always fun. I don't know what they can do to make it more competitive. I don't know. I think everyone watches it… it's a break, so I don't think everyone wants to come here.” and compete.”
That's been evident in recent years, a trend that's not limited to the NBA, as the NHL, NFL and MLB have all undergone sweeping changes to their own all-star events over the past decade in order to try. . to add some flavor and competition to them.
The NBA, however, was certainly louder than any of those leagues about the importance of that change, and none more so than Silver himself.
And, after another failed attempt to increase competition in the All-Star Game, it's unclear what direction he and the league will take from here.
“There were definitely some [discussions about the game being more competitive]”said Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown. “I'm not sure how successful it was, but there was definitely some discussion. I guess guys are trying to figure out how to do that while having fun, being safe and not getting hurt.
“I think more solutions need to be found to solve that.”
