Last weekend, the NBA hosted another edition of its All-Star Weekend, but the revamped format faced heavy criticism from both players and fans. Among the voices weighing in was Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, who didn’t hold back in his assessment of the situation.
The criticism largely revolved around the reduced focus on basketball in favor of additional entertainment elements and a perceived lack of competitiveness from the players. The NBA’s attempt to address these concerns by implementing a format where the first team to score 40 points would win also fell short of expectations.
For Jokic, the issues run deeper. The Serbian big man believes it’s unlikely that any changes will alter how players approach the All-Star Weekend, suggesting the league should prioritize other areas.
“I don’t know,” Jokic said when asked about solutions to the All-Star problem, via the Denver Post. “I think it’s not a question for me. I don’t know.I think maybe we should focus on some other things and then All-Star. I think it’s always going to be like this, so we should accept it“.
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets and Chuck’s Global Stars walks out during team introductions during the 74th NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander criticizes game breaks
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous–Alexander also voiced his frustrations with the All-Star Game, particularly the extended breaks during play. According to SGA, the lengthy pauses disrupted the flow of the game.
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“Breaks, I guess, weren’t ideal,” Gilgeous-Alexander admitted, via ClutchPoints. “I would rather play without breaks. … I guess it’s up to the guys that handle all that stuff to figure out what’s next and how to keep making it more and more interesting, and hopefully we get there one day”.
Jayson Tatum echoes SGA’s complaints
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, while largely satisfied with the new format, acknowledged that the long breaks were a challenge. He joined Gilgeous-Alexander in calling for improvements to the game flow.
“I think the toughest part, they stopped the game to do the presentation while we were kind of halfway through it,” Tatum explained after the game. “We were sitting down for 20 minutes, whatever it was, it was kind of tough to get back into the game after that. But besides that, I thought it was cool”.
