"NBA All-Star Weekend: Not The Same Events We Grew Up Watching"

Now that the dust has settled, and we've endured a comedy show of 
NBA All-Star weekend; nothing impressive in viewership. All the hoopla 
about reformatting a once great product has been watered down. If 
you've been living under a rock, I don't apologize. It's time to wake up 
and see how horrible this weekend really is. Allow me to break it down 
in the best way possible.

For starters, what was all the extended breaks for during the 
"tournament rounds?" I mean... Play a handful of minutes, then a break. 
Go back and forth until fans literally turned their televisions off. 
Commissioner Adam Silver has tried to revamp it from top to bottom and 
no luck. The weekend has turned into "ehh, I'd rather watch the 
nostalgia All-Star weekends."

Yes, I'm one of those fans whose done this religiously since 2017, a 
season after the late great Kobe Bryant played his final all-star game in 
Toronto. What "used" to make this event special was seeing all the great 
players compete for bragging rights. Good offense, great defense, 
players put on a show and talked trash. Not anymore, it's a complete 
layup line and three point game.
It's pretty bad when NBA fans default the game and spar on social 
media about the current format. We've went back and forth about how to 
fix it. Maybe there's only so much Silver can do and he's going to keep 
the players happy. When your best players put forth a half-hearted 
effort, nobody wants to see pickup basketball. They don't even wanna
be there and take the night off.

Yes, it's a meaningless game and carries no value; but the fans vote for
their players to participate. I remember back in the 1990s, fans could

submit their votes on a ballot. McDonald's always had ballots near the
counter for fans to fill out. It was great marketing and we loved casting
those every single year. Now, it's "we know who'll be there and the end."

Fans have grew tired of watching comedian Kevin Hart act like he's the
star and face of this event. Rising Stars event is the only showcase
some NBA fans look forward to. Slam Dunk contest has been a
watershed for three time champion and G-League player Matt McClung.

Nobody cares about a three point contest because we see it for eighty-
two games.

Nothing will ever be the same as it were thirty plus years ago. It used to
be watchable and entertaining from Friday night to Sunday's big game.
This current format... Unbearable in consuming is lighthearted to say the
least. If the truth be told, make it a FIBA style All-Star game in US vs
World. Have your best American players play against International
superstars. If selected, they should play and give the fans a quality
contest.

If your goal is expanding the game, bring in some local street ball
players for the Slam Dunk and Three Point contests. If they win, reward

them with a nice check and G-League tryout for a potential NBA two-
way contract. Give the fans, players something to be excited about

because the best hidden gems are found in unique places.

Something has to give and how many more all-star weekends will fans
turn away from? Whatever the solution is, something needs to be done.
Fans will continue to default as viewership slips by the way side. As a
fan, I'm not too thrilled or over the moon about any event.
My eight year old nephew would rather watch the 1980s and 1990s
events versus this "receptacle" of all-star weekend. It feels more like a
comedy show with amateur comedians who didn't rehearse their

material before taking the stage. Sadly, there's plenty of fans like me
who feel the same way.
Stai tuned.