It was All-Star Weekend in the NBA, an affair that culminated with the game itself on Sunday.
Team Giannis defeated team LeBron, 184-175, and Jayson Tatum became the highest scorer in a single game with 55 points.
Michael Malone, the Denver Nuggets’ head coach, had some words to say after the high-scoring affair.
He said it’s an honor to be a part of a fantastic weekend, with good players, but that the basketball itself was awful.
Yikes.
The typically defensive-minded Malone, of course, wasn’t a fan of the no-defense show.
NBA players, generally, forget about playing defense in All-Star Games, so both teams generally score a lot.
The problem is that Malone isn’t alone (no pun intended): lots of fans think like him and believe the All-Star Game in the NBA currently doesn’t measure up to other sports.
“Never been more confident in saying that the MLB All-Star Game is BY FAR the best All-Star Game in sports,” analyst Ben Verlander said after watching the NBA’s game.
Never been more confident in saying that the MLB All-Star Game is BY FAR the best All-Star Game in sports.
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) February 20, 2023
MLB has also had issues with the attractiveness and competitive level of the All-Star Game in the past.
For a time, it was played with a prize: the winning league had home-field advantage in the World Series.
That idea was dismissed and considered unfair, and rightfully so.
However, between the Celebrity Softball Game, the Futures Game, the Home Run Derby, and the actual All-Star Game, MLB seems to be in better shape regarding the exhibition affair.
Pitchers treat it like a normal game and go full effort for an inning or two (which helps, frankly), and hitters want to have fun and be competitive.
In all fairness, MLB’s All-Star Game is one of the best among professional sports.
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