The NBA All-Star Game has a new format, and it seems as though Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson is less than pleased.
For the first time, All-Star teams will be selected by a pair of captains — no more East vs. West. Who the fans will vote into captaincy remains to be seen, but the topic has sparked quite a bit of conversation among coaches and players around the league.
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Richard Jefferson is fed up with what the NBA All-Star Game has devolved to: “It’s really kind of a joke. It’s sad from the standpoint of, ‘Oh, this is the most points since Michael Jordan scored 35 in ‘87,’ well, it was a completely different game. It’s tough when … no one had had a triple-double, now you have three guys can get a triple-double in one game because it’s just a float-around game. They’re changing it up ideally to make it more competitive. Hopefully it works.”
Richard Jefferson on a further change that still needs to be implemented to fix the NBA All-Star Game: “I think Adam Silver should have a conversation with the Players Association and be like, ‘Look, this is going to affect our brand if every time you guys show up at an All-Star Game it’s 180-162, people literally will turn it off.’ That’s not excitement.”
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Jefferson, now 37 years of age, does have a point. However, as he knows, high-scoring All-Star Games are not a new thing. In fact, All-Star Games are (and have been) viewed as somewhat of an exhibition game. Basically, the players participating don’t want to risk an unnecessary injury, although it has happened in the past. As a result, fans get to see loads of alley-oop dunks and flashy passes, with little to no defense being played.
The 2018 NBA All-Star Game will be played inside the Staples Center on Sunday, February 18. Let’s just wait and see how the teams shape up.