The NBA All-Star Weekend has now become something of a ‘joke’. Which was once a yearly spectacle, has now been reduced to playtime for the league’s stars. Even veteran journalist and media sensation Steven A. Smith called the league out for the travesty that was this year’s All-Star Weekend.
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During a recent episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith aired out his frustrations with the all-star game. Calling out the players and Commissioner Adam Silver, Smith said,
” What transpired last night was an absolute travesty. Nearly 400 points on defence, no effort whatsoever. “
Stephen A. Smith would call for the cancellation of the entire All-Star Weekend itself. The veteran analyst believes that leaving the three-point contest, there isn’t a single event, which holds its credibility anymore. In Smith’s eyes, the star players have no interest in playing hard, as they approach the All-Star Weekend as a ‘vacation’.
SAS would even call out LeBron for his impact or lack thereof, on the Dunk Contest. According to Smith, LeBron became the first above-the-rim star, who didn’t participate in the Slam Dunk Contest. In Stephen A.’s view, LeBron set a precedent of not appearing in the contest, giving the younger players a pass for not appearing in the contest.
As for the shooting contest, Stephen A. has no issue with the event. According to Smith, the 3-point contest is often a hard-fought event, and participants often compete to win.
JJ Redick also calls out the All-Stars
The former Dallas Mavericks guard, JJ Redick recently aired his concerns surrounding the All-Star Weekend. According to Redick, the defensive side of the All-Star Game has become ‘non-existent’. Talking about it further, Redick said,
“This is not playing defence! This was 23 guys, I’d say 23 and a half guys just not trying. And we have seen it year after year after year. At no point, did anyone outside of Kevin Durant try on defense,”
The 39-year-old even pointed out the fact that Commissioner Adam Silver was visibly disappointed in the game, as he sarcastically congratulated the East for their win. The concerns being raised by people league-wide do have a solid basis.
The 2024 edition of the All-Star game went down as the highest-scoring game in NBA history, as the game ended with a final score of 211-186. Unlike Stephen A. Smith, Paul Pierce called for the complete deletion of the dunk contest.
Having been witness to many great contests in the past, Pierce called out the recent editions of the contest. According to Pierce, the dunk contest is a deadweight that needs to be let go of. The Celtic legend doesn’t believe that the contest has held any of its past credibility, as the recent performances have been ‘sub-par’ at best.
