An overarching trend in the major professional sports leagues here in America are the dull, lackluster All-Star Games, in which no matter how many superstars you pile in to one building, fans are either bored out of their minds while watching it, or not watching it at all.
Prime suspects of putting their fans to sleep during their All-Star games are the NFL, and MLB. The NFL has completely lost their fans interest in their two-hand touch Football game they call the “Pro Bowl”, and the MLB has followed suit ever since taking away any incentive there was to winning the game, when they removed the rule of home field advantage in the World Series to the winning league.
Among the two leagues that have actually took their heads out of their rear sides and realized that change was in order were the NHL, and the NBA. The NHL made the change to a fast-paced and exciting 3 on 3 tournament style All-Star Games, which is actually three games across the whole day, and includes financial incentive for the players by way of large 1 Million Dollar check for the winning division. Speaking for myself here, the new NHL format introduced in 2016 has intrigued myself, an avid football fan, to watch the NHL’s All-Star game over the snooze fest that is the NFL’s Pro Bowl for the past few seasons.
In tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, the NBA introduced a new All-Star Game format this season, which replaced their old format of essentially having a pick-up game with the NBA’s most popular players in which not many fans really cared for, simply because the players themselves did not seem to care as much either. This season that all changed.
Bare with me here because the format is a little confusing to explain, but makes perfect sense in what the NBA was hoping for in terms of increasing the intesity of the game, and enticing players to highten their competitiveness during the game. In this years All-Star game each of the first 3 quarters were essentially 12 minute games, in which each team had the opportunity to win the quarter, and a donation to charity. The scores were reset after each of the 3 quarters, but not forgotten, as when the 4th quarter rolled around, the target score to win became 157. The target score was reached by adding 24 (shoutout Kobe, we miss you.) to the leading teams score, in this case Team Giannis’s 133.
Ultimately, this years NBA All-Star game was not only a bittersweet tribute to the late great Kobe Bryant and his Daugther Gianna, among the 7 other lives lost in the tragic accident. This years All-Star game was a breath of fresh air, and had the feel of a meaningful NBA game, with the players arguing with referees, Kyle Lowry taking not 1, but 2 charging fouls, as well as post game trash talk. Fan reaction was incredible as well, even though the general feeling towards the format change was confusing to say the least. I think the only person who took any issue with the format was Joel Embiid, who said after the game “you shouldn’t be able to win on a free throw”, but hey, I doubt that quote would exist if he were on the winning side.
Overall, the NBA did something that NFL fans wish their league would do. They took something that has so much potential to be a real attraction to fans, and made an ever so neccesary change to an event that was on its last breathe because of the lack of intensity the players brought to the game. At least for this season, the change revitalized the game, and even has fans like me looking forward to next seasons All-Star game.
FirstRow Sports Blog 