"The players of today's game aren't uplifting the game"

[TheReaLPuba]

If the Superstars just showed up to the events it would make it more interesting and worth watching.

I don't care if LeBron, Kobe, Durant do dunks in their barefeet people are going to watch and see what goes on.

You need a mix of stars and role players just to see the drama.

You don't need the best dunkers or the best shooters at these events you just need a mixture of best players and best specialists.

To fix the All-Star game itself is just to make sure that both sides compete like it's a real game.

It's simple.

[Eja117]

If the best dunkers in the game aren't going to enter, they shouldn't have it.  It's become a joke.  I just looked up who this year's contestants are, and I already forgot.

I think in a way we've become more educated fans. Once you had no names winning against good players we realized the dunk contest has sorta always been a joke. Maybe back when Dr J won or when MJ beat Nique and when Spud Webb won that was cool.

But Gerald Green could beat them. Who cares?

[ManUp]

Dunk Contest has been horrible since everyone started going with props and Nate repeated as champ after 56 dunk attempts. BTW, Gerald Green is probably the worst dunker to win the contest. Every dunk Green does is a variation of a windmill.

[j804]

It isnt great and cracked up like it up used to true, still I'm a b ball junky so I watch it anyway.

[Eja117]

Dunk Contest has been horrible since everyone started going with props and Nate repeated as champ after 56 dunk attempts. BTW, Gerald Green is probably the worst dunker to win the contest. Every dunk Green does is a variation of a windmill.

I have to admit I liked the gimmicks and G Green. The gimmicks started with Dee Brown. I happily blame him

[Finkelskyhook]

When we talk about not uplifting the game... It goes way further than a meaningless pickup game and a few dumb "competitions".  Concerning the all star game...Any credibility in that was over when they gave the inactive earvin johnson a spot over an active player who deserved it.  Watching the old timers game was probably the most entertaining thing about all star weekend before that.  

The game has been reduced to what often times looks like a scripted spectacle.  When statistics are kept for "charges taken" (flops), the game becomes a parody of itself.  When players celebrated flops or taunted after dunks....They got clotheslined at the other end.  Now they're policed by a technical.   When certain players can take 3 or more steps in front of the best trained officials in  the history of the game....The game becomes an event instead of a competition.

This isn't so much on the players.  In the obvious demand by Stern for selective officiating....The ridiculous policing by the officials instead of letting the players police themselves...Teams rewarded for flopping.  

The players are just playing the game the way they're allowed to play it.

[greenpride32]

There's only so many ways to dunk a basketball and it's all been done before.  I think today's big stars would rather not copy Nique, MJ, Nance, Vince, etc.  And the majority of fans think the props are lame. 

The best (and really only good AS game) is baseball's.  The game is still played true to form and you get to see all the biggest stars.  In football, basketball, and hockey the players take it easy and don't play defense, so you're basically watching a loose scrimmage. 

[Q_FBE]

In baseball, the winning side gets home field advantage for the World Series. St.Louis won it in Seven games by winning both games on their home field in six and seven. Tell me that home field was not a factor for St Louis.

If you want to attach significance to the Allstar game have the winning conference claim home court advantage for the NBA finals and suddenly this game does take on renewed significance. HCA is much more pronounced in basketball.

[PosImpos]

In baseball, the winning side gets home field advantage for the World Series. St.Louis won it in Seven games by winning both games on their home field in six and seven. Tell me that home field was not a factor for St Louis.

If you want to attach significance to the Allstar game have the winning conference claim home court advantage for the NBA finals and suddenly this game does take on renewed significance. HCA is much more pronounced in basketball.

the home field advantage in the world series being attached to the all-star game is the dumbest thing in baseball, and there are a LOT of dumb things in baseball.

[Finkelskyhook]

In baseball, the winning side gets home field advantage for the World Series. St.Louis won it in Seven games by winning both games on their home field in six and seven. Tell me that home field was not a factor for St Louis.

If you want to attach significance to the Allstar game have the winning conference claim home court advantage for the NBA finals and suddenly this game does take on renewed significance. HCA is much more pronounced in basketball.

the home field advantage in the world series being attached to the all-star game is the dumbest thing in baseball, and there are a LOT of dumb things in baseball.

ditto - Teams should earn homecourt advantage.  Period.  The team with the worst record in the playoffs getting homefield advantage was as big a sham as the MLB drug policy.

[Celtics4ever]

There is more "me" in the game these days.

[Eja117]

There is more "me" in the game these days.

Maybe, but there's been a lot o me in the games for a while. Even I was blown away when I think Chris Webber about a decade ago used the game to showcase his new mirror shoes. Not exactly mirror, but like silver metalic. And I hate stuff like that

[Celtic#9]

Celebrity Game!!!!!!!