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The 2023 NBA All-Star weekend turned out to be a major disappointment. Apart from a few highlights, the annual basketball carnival failed to match its expectations. The Slam Dunk contest was the only event that left everyone impressed.
Barring the Slam Dunk event, fans expressed their discontent with how the weekend played out from start to finish, including the All-Star game. It wasn't competitive, leaving viewers reminiscing about how the weekend and the game were played before the turn of the 2020s.
One fan on Twitter directed his frustrations at league commissioner Adam Silver, writing:
"Adam Silver Happened smh"
The league has now been commercialized in almost every aspect. The NBA has also altered the formats and rules of all events, which hasn't worked out as expected.
Another fan wondered if the NBA restoring the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format at the All-Star game would fuel the rivalry and make the event competitive again. Here's what he tweeted:
"I hate this idea but would making it east west again bring some kind of rivalry back?"
The league tried to make things interesting by creating a draft format for the All-Star game in 2018. The two leading vote-getters from the two conferences get to draft their teams from a pool with players from both conferences.
It was a successful way to make the game competitive for a few years, but that hasn't been the case consistently. The East vs. West format would at least give players from the two sides fighting for supremacy, proving the competition is better on their side of the field.
Here are some more reactions that followed after an underwhelming 2023 NBA All-Star weekend:
Jaylen Brown and Michael Malone echo fans' sentiments after a dismal 2023 NBA All-Star Game
The 2023 NBA All-Star game is merely an exhibition contest. However, it still gets competitive as the game progresses. That wasn't the case this year. Entering the weekend, several marquee names like Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Zion Williamson had pulled out of the game due to injuries or rehab.
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the winning captain, made it to the All-Star weekend but with a wrist injury he suffered in the last game before the break. That forced him to miss the skills challenge. Giannis started the All-Star game but exited after scoring the first points.
His counterpart LeBron James sustained a hand injury during the All-Star game after he hit the rim on a block attempt and missed the entire second half. James sat out as a precautionary measure.
The players in action didn't play with any intensity either, turning the game into a shootout. Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown and Team LeBron coach Michael Malone echoed fans' sentiments about the disappointing game played on Sunday. Brown gave a straightforward assessment, saying, "it wasn't basketball." Meanwhile, Malone claimed it was the "worst basketball game ever."
The increase in load management, the commercial side of things and increased workload for players are among the topics that could once again be prominent following the lackluster display during the 2023 NBA All-Star Game.
Guess the Lakers players!
