All Star Starters (Popularity contest)

[I Hate Mondays]

Literally smash the little guy on the floor, like he did in the 2nd quarter. I don't believe he can do it in terms of basketball just yet, Curry's is in his head.

[Patr1ck]

I used to think that they should expand the roster. I don't think so anymore. There is enough gift wrapped baby bottles going around the league already. Having snubs will weed out the players who don't work hard enough to gain the notoriety, while pushing the snubs who will realize they just have to push their game even further to get recognized by fans and coaches alike.

[NovU]

The last one I enjoyed was Marbury/AI team up epic victory

Really, 2001? There's been some good ones since in my opinion, though most of my favourites are admittedly from the 80s and 90s.

All Star game was a special day when I was a kid. It was like a buffet, your favorite food are all there. But it's different now. Back then there was no NBA TV, Season Pass, nor internet streaming so your chance to watch the game was limited to what your national channel plays or some local games if you're lucky enough to live in a city with basketball team. So naturally getting to watch superstars at one place was a special thing. Now days you can watch any superstar you want on daily basis.

[mp3]

The last one I enjoyed was Marbury/AI team up epic victory

Really, 2001? There's been some good ones since in my opinion, though most of my favourites are admittedly from the 80s and 90s.

Was it really that long ago?? Dammmmm!

I think that one stands out to me more as the last enjoyable one because AI/Marbury really wanted to win and the West didn't back down.... defence was even played

[Andrew]

The last one I enjoyed was Marbury/AI team up epic victory

Really, 2001? There's been some good ones since in my opinion, though most of my favourites are admittedly from the 80s and 90s.

All Star game was a special day when I was a kid. It was like a buffet, your favorite food are all there. But it's different now. Back then there was no NBA TV, Season Pass, nor internet streaming so your chance to watch the game was limited to what your national channel plays or some local games if you're lucky enough to live in a city with basketball team. So naturally getting to watch superstars at one place was a special thing. Now days you can watch any superstar you want on daily basis.

I suppose, but you still don't see them competing all in the same game, except for All-Star Weekend. I just don't think the competitiveness is there any more, and that might be because players are a lot friendlier with each other than they used to be. I mean, it was always a bit looser than a regular game unless it was close down the stretch, but there was still effort, competitiveness, pride.

[[Q]]

I usually watch Saturday and skip Sunday's game

[Andrew]

All-Star Saturday usually doesn't disappoint. There's generally fun to be had there, though not every year can be The Best All-Star Saturday Ever.

[NovU]

The last one I enjoyed was Marbury/AI team up epic victory

Really, 2001? There's been some good ones since in my opinion, though most of my favourites are admittedly from the 80s and 90s.

All Star game was a special day when I was a kid. It was like a buffet, your favorite food are all there. But it's different now. Back then there was no NBA TV, Season Pass, nor internet streaming so your chance to watch the game was limited to what your national channel plays or some local games if you're lucky enough to live in a city with basketball team. So naturally getting to watch superstars at one place was a special thing. Now days you can watch any superstar you want on daily basis.

I suppose, but you still don't see them competing all in the same game, except for All-Star Weekend. I just don't think the competitiveness is there any more, and that might be because players are a lot friendlier with each other than they used to be. I mean, it was always a bit looser than a regular game unless it was close down the stretch, but there was still effort, competitiveness, pride.

That too.

Even 3pt contest and dunk contest were pretty imho. Perhaps I'm nostalgia but felt players and crowd were more into it.

[Andrew]

Honestly, I do think we're a little jaded when it comes to those events. It's impossible for every year's contest to top the last, and I believe we sometimes have unreasonable expectations in that regard. Negativity is often also considered the "smarter" stance to take these days. That said, I also think the dunk contest has suffered from too many changes, gimmicks, and bad format ideas. That definitely doesn't help.

Even the three-point contest has been unnecessarily changed with the addition of the extra money balls, which is the only reason Steph Curry was able to break the long-time record for most points in a single round. Not that Curry isn't an exceptional shooter, but under the old rules, he'd have actually fallen short of the record with the shots he made last year. With the changes to the formats and the different philosophical approach to the All-Star game, it feels like there's an effort to make it easier for players to break some of the long-standing records and put up big numbers. That cheapens things a bit, and I'd say contributes a little to us feeling a bit jaded as fans and armchair analysts.

[mp3]

I usually watch Saturday and skip Sunday's game

This is pretty much my thinking, rookie game/ celebrity game at a push.

[NovU]

I think the biggest issue is that the dunk contest is no more the star of the show where top stars look to compete and show off what they got. Instead it's become a show stage for obscure players to earn attention. It has been lacking drama for awhile now imo.

[Stress Fracture]

I think the biggest issue is that the dunk contest is no more the star of the show where top stars look to compete and show off what they got. Instead it's become a show stage for obscure players to earn attention. It has been lacking drama for awhile now imo.

Here's hoping Zach Lavine and the other young studs can bring back the glory. Last year was a start, I guess

[Andrew]

The lack of star power in the dunk contest is brought up a lot and it is a factor, but that shift was already happening in the early 90s. That's when the contest started to feature more rising stars and less established big names, but it was still entertaining. Big names help generate interest, but as long as there are some players who are known for busting out entertaining dunks, and they bring creative stuff to the table come the contest, it'll be a dunking exhibition worth watching.

I still feel the bigger problem has been an overuse of gimmicks, as well as unnecessary and contrived changes to the format. Even with big names competing, the contest isn't as fun if the format is weird and too gimmicky.

[[Q]]

Looking back, a lot of the notable players in dunk contests were not superstars at the time. They were rising stars as Andrew said.

Brent Barry, anonymous white boy who played for the league's worst team. Kobe Bryant, an 18 year old rookie. After a two year layoff, we had perhaps the best contest of all time with players of 2 years or less experience in Carter, T-Mac, and Francis. Desmond Mason & J-Rich were rookies when they first joined, and the list goes on.

[Andrew]

Exactly. Fan voting opening before the final round has even begun, the wheel, the team format of 2014, 90 second routines instead of a number of dunks per round, overuse of props and gimmicks...that's the kind of stuff that made the dunk contest contrived and less interesting.

[Axel]

Gimmicks? Like Blake Griffin jumping over a Kia?

What a bunch of crap.

[Andrew]

Jumping over obstacles has become a little passe.