By Flint Wheeler
It says something that the most highly anticipated event for the upcoming NBA All-Star weekend is the 3-point shootout.
And hey, the chance to see Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kyle Korver and Wes Matthews light it up from long range is something no hoop junkie wants to miss, but still, it’s not like Larry Bird is walking through that door.
All all-star games are a chore to get through — the Pro Bowl is particularly worthless — but the NBA All-Star weekend used to feel special. The dunk contest featured the likes of Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins — walk into most barbershops to this day and you’ll spark a heated debate by asking who really should have won the 1988 contest (‘Nique was cheated) — and the actual game was entertaining yet intense. Guys really wanted to win.
It just isn’t like that anymore. This year’s “event” which is scheduled for Feb. 13-15 in New York City, mostly feels like an unnecessary interruption to the most compelling regular season in recent memory.
Since new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is so open to making changes to the way his league does business, here are a few ideas for juicing up All-Star weekend:
• Make the game matter. Major League Baseball did the right thing by putting World Series home-field advantage on the line for its All-Star Game. And while it may seem drastic to take that step for the NBA, where home court is so critical, something has to be done to jazz up what has become a glorified scrimmage.
We know guys care about getting invited to the game; it would be nice if they cared once they actually lace up those fancy sneakers. Perhaps offer a fat bonus to the winning team if it can also hold the opponent below 120 points. Do something, anything, to make the game more competitive.
• Tweak the selection process. It’s cool that fans have been able to vote for starters but when an injured Kobe Bryant, who wasn’t even playing that well when he was healthy, and Carmelo Anthony of the dreadful Knicks, are chosen as starters, something is seriously wrong.
The task for choosing starters should fall to some blend of fan votes, media votes and input from general managers. We’ll always have arguments over which players should be selected as reserves. This year, Portland’s Damian Lillard was the biggest snub but, in a league so stacked with young talent, that’s inevitable. Nailing the starters is something the league has to get right.
• Quick: who won last year’s dunk contest? (Wait for it) Either get more big names to commit to what used to be THE event of the weekend or scrap it. This year’s field: Zach LaVine, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo and Mason Plumlee. C’mon, man.
At this point, you may as well pull some dudes out of the stands and have them participate. And hey, the event is in Brooklyn so it’s a good bet they may be able to throw down.
• Add a one-on-one contest. Who wouldn’t want to see LeBron James and Kevin Durant go at it? Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose? Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki? I’m talking old-school in the driveway or at-the-park style. First man to 12 wins. Make it, take it. Call your own foul.
This would be sensational and because we know these guys have huge egos, it would be real competition. Also, Anthony would finally have an excuse for not notching an assist. And we know Las Vegas would love it, too. My money would be on James Harden.
