By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The 72nd NBA All-Star Game was a total on-court disappointment and that’s why an old idea from Europe can restore past glories.
While the concept of the All-Star Game is distinctively American, many European countries – while basketball flourished during the 90s – tried to imitate it and many still do with mixed results.
However with the NBA All-Star Game becoming more and more a game in which the final result is irrelevant, All-Star Games, in general, are in decline.
EuroLeague never tried to have one and the biggest domestic league in Europe, the Spanish Liga Endesa, also skipped it, opting for the Final 8 tournament named “Copa Del Rey”, a concept also copied around Europe.
The idea of having fans from many teams together enjoying the game is good and can work, but having also games that matter and also a “real” trophy awarded in the end works much better in European fan bases.
There are some exceptions, like this year’s French league All-Star Game a.k.a. known as the Wembanyama party, however, you need a magnet like the projected first pick of the upcoming NBA draft to make it work.
Still a concept that is the norm in Europe, can reinject interest even to the original All-Star Game.
A rivalry that motivates the players
For years, the East vs West rivalry was enough for all the NBA stars to bring their A-game to the court. The All-Star Game – and also the dunk contest – was a rite of passage for any young player who wanted to measure up to the greats.
Over time this motivation faded. In the modern NBA era, where an injury can cost millions and “load management” is accepted, killing yourself in an exhibition game doesn’t make business sense.
But the All-Star Game at least on the court should not be about business. You need to have a game with a competitive edge so it must mean something. In recent years, only Giannis Antetokounmpo was eager to prove himself on the All-Star Game level and that brought a breath of fresh air to the game, which peaked in Chicago back in 2020 when the last quarter of the game ended up being a dogfight after many many years.
With Giannis not playing however and not having much to prove, there’s no other guy who has the same spirit and also the will to exhibit it on the All-Star Weekend.
That’s why having the format of the USA vs the World can change things, even if it was recently abandoned in the Rising Stars Game.
One of the main allures of the FIBA game, especially when the USA is involved, is having other national teams eager to measure themselves against the best.
That can also happen in the NBA All-Star Game and considering that this is a global league, it makes more than sense.
A global game
For many years the concept of the All-Star Game was applied in Europe with one team being compiled by local players and the other by “foreigners”, mainly US imports.
There have been some variations, but in general, that’s the idea. On some occasions, depending on the level of local talent, you may see Europeans vs non-Europeans but that’s about it.
And finally, there are so many international stars in the NBA, that a game of the USA vs the World makes sense. Eurohoops explored the concept back in 2018, however, this year a similar article was presented on the official NBA website proving that the idea is more mature than ever.
Considering the ramification and the impact that historic games had, like the semifinal defeat of the US in the 2006 FIBA World Cup by Greece and also the 2008 Olympic final between Pau Gasol’s Spain and Kobe Bryant’s USA, the only explanation that can be considered valid for the NBA not trying this format, is the belief that the international team will be easy prey.
With eight international All-Stars this year – nine according to the NBA which considers Kyrie Irving Australian due to his place of birth – including household names like Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, this change should be a no-brainer considering this year’s fiasco in Utah.
Giannis, after all, wanted this format since 2019, as he said to Eurohoops back then. For the record, Serb sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic had second thoughts about it, but after Sunday’s game, it would not be shocking for him to reconsider…