The NBA has an All-Star Game problem, and former president Barack Obama has a problem with the NBA All-Star Game.
NBA fans and media have criticized the league’s All-Star Game for years, yet it continues to get worse, making an event that was once a celebration of the sport unwatchable. On the first episode of The Young Man and The Three, formerly JJ Redick’s The Old Man and The Three, Obama told hosts Tommy Alter and Tyrese Haliburton that he’s done watching the depleted product known as the NBA All-Star Game.
“Y’all gotta have a little more pride in that All-Star Game,” Obama told Haliburton, a two-time All-Star. “It’s not as if you all don’t play pickup during the summers. You know how to play in a way that, ‘alright, I’m not going to hurt anybody, I’m not going to take anybody out.’ But that All-Star Game, it’s broke, man.”
“It insults the game,” Obama continued. “This is your business. This is your product. You don’t want people thinking you’re all out there just half-assed.”
Obama claimed the problem with the NBA All-Star Game is that players are making too much money today. The better reasons might be that teams encourage load management throughout the season and there just isn’t much incentive to play hard in an All-Star Game. Aside from the fact that it was historically used as a way of showcasing their product. But apparently, serving as a showcase is no longer reason enough for players to risk injury during the event. Still, Obama is urging the NBA to figure something out.
“Take it more seriously,” Obama said. “Y’all need to do something, because I ain’t watching that thing no more.”
The NBA has tinkered with different All-Star Game formats in recent years, only to return to a more conventional East vs West spectacle last season. Unfortunately, it led to a game that featured 397 points thanks to no defense or effort. It was widely regarded as a disaster, turning even lifelong fans like Barack Obama off from ever watching it again.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com