The All Star Game is back!!

For years since the merger of the NBA, the All-Star game has brought fans and celebrities from around the world to enjoy the spectacle of the greatest players in the world all on one floor, however the game has not always brought as much awe. Usually the biggest events of All-Star Weekend in the NBA are the skills competitions and the dunk contest on Saturday night. In my opinion, even if Donovan Mitchell, a rookie from the Utah Jazz, won the contest, it failed in comparison with the previous 2 before. In opposition of the results from any other year, the game itself, was the biggest surprise and treat. The overlying factor of this difference can be summed into one word: Defense.

The All-Star Game over the years has become a playground for careless basketball, stunts, and an overall disrespect for the game. The object of basketball has always been and always will be to stop the other team from scoring as many points as you and in the process score more than that team, but the All-Star game has been a place where defense and intensity has been reserved for the last 5 minutes of the game where teams finally show when they want to win. Last year, Not only was the format the same as it had always been, there was also a blatant disrespect for the game, evident in the Eastern Conference All Stars contempt with the Western Conference scoring 196 points versus there 173. This was a record for the the much-coveted contest.

With with so many great players on the floor at the same time it's kind of hard to imagine that there won't be several highlights in the process of the game anyway, but this year gave some glimpse into the future of the all-star weekend. Many players around this time like to take time off, but the NBA decided against the age-old tradition of Conference teams and decided to split the teams up by the team captains who were chosen race on how many votes that received to pick from the other stars in the league. LeBron James and Stephen Curry pick teams and neither team was initially thought to have an advantage.

I watched this multiple shots went contested and stars lined up as if it was a regular season game. It was so exciting to watch these franchise builders to go head-to-head on their respective teams and in most respect, this was one of the most exciting weekends of basketball this season simply because the game was so good. The final score of the game was 148 team LeBron to 145 Team Stephen. Although the final score was high, it only points to progression from the travesty that it had been in the recent years. From the results and viewing the All-Star Game, it is clear that the format of Conference teams to Top Superstars picking teams was the best option that the NBA could have taken in gaining the attention of avid basketball fans. In the years to come, basketball will become more globalized and people are playing the game more than ever today. All-star weekend is back and people finally have a reason to pay attention again on the Sunday that has been full of the hoax of competition presented normally. It can only be hope that the competition only takes on more astronomical proportions and allow more people to see what it really means to be an All-Star in the league so full of Global Talent. It’s no longer just about prestige,but rather it’s transformed, in one short year’s difference, into a platform for glory and desire amongst athletes as well a conversation starter rather than a filler not worthy of barbershop talk thoughts.