Remember the days when people cared about NBA All Star Weekend — and I am not just talking about fans. Here is a breakdown on NBA All Star Weekend, why it stinks and what it needs to do to get back to greatness.
1. The NBA/WNBA Shooting Competition is just dumb. I am not sure if it was more boring or awkward watching Chris Webber miss about 10 3-pointers in a row from the top of the key. I found myself angered that professional basketball players couldn’t make easy, uncontested shots. This is a competition that an average high school team could assemble a group that is more competitive than the jokes that were out there embarrassing themselves on Saturday night. I could probably break down the shooting competition play by play, but it’s really not worth my time. I seriously could care less about this competition.
WNBA fans
2. The skills competition- Seriously … what is this proving? The guy who can best throw a ball through a tire and can carry around a cone? If they wanted to prove anything they would at least have the targets be moving tires. Seriously, this is just a dumb waste of my time.
3. The 3-point contest … WTF??? Remember when the best 3-point shooters used to compete in this contest, guys like Larry Bird, and of course my favorites, Steve Kerr and Craig Hodges (one of the most exciting 3-point contestants of all time). Now its just a couple of guys that can shoot, and a couple of other guys that the league could get to agree to play. Obviously, Paul Pierce can shoot the J, but seriously he’s not even the best shooter on his own team (ever heard of Ray Allen??). This quickly became a competition not of who can make more shots, but of who can miss less shots — it was not exciting. Period.
The (3-point) Dream Team...(From Top Left): Reggie Miller, Mark Price, John Sundvold, Craig Hodges (From Bottom Left) Larry Bird, Bobby Hansen, Craig Ehlo, Michael Jordan
4. The Dunk Contest — Where Have You Gone???? There once was a time when dunking from the free throw line was cool — but its hardly a creative dunk anymore. Remember Dee Brown and the arm over the eyes? Remember Cedric Ceballos and the full court blind folded dunk? Remember Isaiah Rider and the ball through the legs dunk? These were all awesome and new — Now, we have a 3-time champion thats about 3′ 6″. Is watching Nate Robinson dunking all the exciting? The answer is no — he only wins because people think it’s cool that a midget can dunk, but let’s be honest, if anyone his height did the same dunk it would probably get a 0/50.
How bad is it that as I watch the dunk contest Charles Barkley is constantly ripping it apart? Where is Lebron? Kobe? D-Wade? Josh and JR Smith? The dunk contest was a complete let down this year, and I fear that it is a dying contest.
As long as Cheryl Miller is emceeing the night it will never ever be exciting — lets be honest, nobody gives a rip about the WNBA and it has no place in the NBA All Star Weekend.
Cheryl Miller--still hot!
If we ever want the All-Star Weekend to be exciting again, we need to see the absolute best of the best come out, take off their sweats and compete.
Overall, I think TNT should start calling this Some-Star weekend, with a couple of guys that begged for attention.