The NBA All-Star Game is always a must-watch for basketball fans.
Even though it really holds no significant value for the record of players or teams, it can still be a blast to watch and gives followers of the league a chance to see their favorite athletes battle it out in an exciting way.
Yet, this year the game has garnered a fair bit of controversy.
Fans and even some players and coaches have spoken out about the lack of defense in the game.
Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, who participated in the All-Star Game for Team LeBron, criticized it for being a “layup line” instead of a truly competitive affair.
So… how would you fix the NBA All-Star game? pic.twitter.com/8lg9PAcZ6A
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 21, 2023
One photo making the rounds online perfectly summarizes that lack of defense.
At one moment in the game, Brown was being defended by his usual teammate Jayson Tatum.
Meanwhile, the rest of the players from both teams stood on the other side of the court, just watching as if they are waiting on the sidelines.
That is the complete opposite of what fans want when they think of defense in the NBA.
The All-Star Game is a chance for players and fans to have fun and the playful and joyful atmosphere surrounding it confirms that.
But is it time for the NBA to tweak the game a bit and make sure that players are actually pouring their hearts into the game and trying to defend, rather than just sinking flashy shots and dunks?
It’s not clear what the league could do to make this happen.
But it sounds like more than a few fans are growing tired of the All-Star Game.
It’s not that the game isn’t a lot of fun.
In fact, that might be the problem: perhaps it has become too much fun for players.
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