Sports
Commentary: Players know the NBA All-Star Game might be too broken to fix
Following the highest-scoring All-Star Game in the league’s history, the NBA’s signature in-season event again feels at a crossroads as attempts to make Sunday’s closing event more competitive fell flat.
The East beat the West 211-186 in Indianapolis, a game that simultaneously stoked fears that there’s too much offense in the current product and that players don’t seem to care about playing hard in the NBA’s signature showcase event.
“It’s an All-Star Game,” Anthony Davis said when asked about the lack of defense.
Following an awful game in Salt Lake last season that delivered record-low ratings, the league and its players made changes to the format with the NBA agreeing to remove a lot of the fanfare (musical performances, prolonged introductions, convoluted scoring and rosters) in favor of a traditional East-West game.
“Andre Iguodala now, who is the executive director, former player, of the Players Association, shares that view with the league office; that we’re not necessarily looking for players to go out there as if it’s the Finals necessarily, but we need players to play defense, we need them to care about this game,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday. “And the feeling was that maybe — and I’ll take responsibility for it; as you know, I used to run something called NBA Entertainment — that we’d gotten carried away a little bit with the entertainment aspect.”
Jennifer Hudson, Sunday’s halftime act, performed just one song — one example of how the NBA altered its All-Star scripts.
“Frankly, fans are able to vote by what they watch too,” Silver said Saturday. “They have so many options. So the thought was here, we sat down with the players, we said, let’s return to a focus on the game of basketball. Let’s come pretty close to your typical routine. We still want the opportunity to introduce to fans around the world the All-Star rosters. We still want to have a little bit of fun at halftime, so just add a slight amount of time and let’s see what we get.
“My sense is it’s a combination of discussions that the leadership of the players are having with the All-Stars. I think discussions Joe Dumars is having directly with players. Frankly, having (head of basketball operations) Joe Dumars and his credibility in the league office, I think we’re going to see a good game tomorrow night.”
Welp.
After the game, as Davis listed some of his favorite moments from the game — LeBron James’ signature dunk in his 20th All-Star Game, Damian Lillard’s three-pointer from midcourt and Karl-Anthony Towns — he settled on a trampoline dunk performance during a timeout as the best moment.
Lakers star Anthony Davis stands during the singing of the national anthem before the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.
(Juan Ocampo / NBAE via Getty Images)
“I think the best, we were talking about it, was the Bulls and the Pacers dunkers,” he said sincerely. “The trampolines. Like, they were very, very impressive.”
It was not televised.
Following the game in Utah, Boston’s Jaylen Brown was critical of the product, saying the game “wasn’t basketball” and just a “layup line.” To his credit, he tried to inject life into the weekend, participating in the dunk contest on Saturday and even playing some defense Sunday.
“We were attempting to put a little more effort into it, but I’m not sure how successful that was. But hopefully, as the years go on, it gets back to being what the fans want to see,” Brown said. “There were some discussions. Definitely some. I’m not sure how successful that was. There were definitely some discussions. I guess guys are trying to figure out how to do that at the same time as having fun, being safe, being injury-free. More solutions need to be had to figure that out.”
And at the core, that’s the biggest issue, the game demanding players to play at speeds they just don’t normally operate at.
“Obviously the fans and the league and everyone wants it to be competitive, but then you also, as players, you’re trying not to get hurt,” Davis said. “Obviously, injuries are part of the game. No one wants to get hurt in an All-Star Game especially going back — I mean, all these guys here are very valuable to their teams. So, there are some mixed emotions about it.
“You try to go out there and compete a little bit and not just be a highlight show, but at the same time, do you guys really want to see somebody going for a dunk, somebody going to contest him and, God forbid, something happens in the All-Star Game? Like, when it could’ve been avoided?
“… We were talking about it during the game, like what can we actually do? But then you think of the aspect of the competitive nature and if players really compete like how they do in the season. … It’s not, ‘OK, compete a little bit.’ There’s only one way to compete, and I think a lot of players aren’t really up for it to compete at that level.”
James, eager to continue his All-Star break and recovery time, left the arena in his uniform Sunday night.
Before that, he posited maybe the biggest question — that the All-Star Game is maybe just a symptom and not the actual problem.
“I think it’s something we need to figure out,” James said. “Where is the median? This is what a lot of the games are starting to look like too. We wanted to get more pace into the games. We wanted to get more shots. We wanted the game to be more free flowing. We stopped letting the game — be freedom of movement, a lot of freedom of movement now. That’s what our games are like in the regular season now. They let us tighten up in the postseason.
“… It’s a deeper dive into a conversation of how we can shore up this game. Obviously from a player’s perspective, it’s fun to get up and down. But at the end of the day, our competitive nature don’t like to have free-flowing scoring like that. But I think the good thing that came out of tonight was none of the players were injured, and everybody came out unscathed or how they were before the game started. So it’s a deeper conversation.”
A conversation, the NBA, frustratingly, will have again and again.
Sports
Victor Wembanyama puts hand on Jalen Brunson’s head, pushes him down as refs look the other way in Game 3
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Victor Wembanyama’s aggression on the court was once again called into question as the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks played Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.
During the first half, Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson was trying to guard Wembanyama near the free throw line when the 7-foot-4 center put his hand on the back of Brunson’s head and shoved him to the court.
However, Wembanyama was never called for the foul and play continued with the Knicks in possession of the ball.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks works against Dylan Harper and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Brunson immediately got into Wembanyama’s face, and it appeared the Frenchman was smiling before the point guard got back to business.
The incident was similar to one that occurred in Game 2’s win for the Knicks on the road, when Brunson’s backup, Jose Alvarado, went to box out Wembanyama. Alvarado, who has comparable stature to Brunson, was wrapped up by Wembanyama and thrown away from the play.
NBA RESCINDS MITCHELL ROBINSON’S TECHNICAL FOUL FROM GAME 2 OF FINALS AFTER REVIEWING SHOVING MATCH
Once again, no foul call was made.
The Spurs are known for their physicality, but many believed that Wemby should’ve been called for fouls in these cases.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks shoots a three-point basket over Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter of Game Three in the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
San Antonio started this game red-hot, owning an 11-point lead after the first quarter, 33-22. But these Knicks have consistently shown their ability to come back no matter the deficit.
After a second quarter run, the Knicks ended the locker room with a seven-point lead at halftime.
Brunson was a main reason why that was the case, going 5-of-11 from the field for 15 points with three assists and one rebound.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts as San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama looks on during the second quarter of game three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 8, 2026. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
As for Wembanyama, he was an efficient 6-of-10 from the field for 15 points of his own, while hauling in four rebounds and dishing out three assists.
The Spurs are trying to avoid a brutal 3-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series, while the Knicks are hoping they can keep momentum in the second half to have the chance at a sweep in their own building on Wednesday night in Game 4.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Aaron Donald has made no public pronouncements that he will remain retired or return to play for the Rams.
But the three-time NFL defensive player of the year and future Hall of Famer remains a hot topic, and Rams players are aware of the buzz.
“When you have a guy that’s that serious about even considering coming out, it’s like, ‘OK, we might have a chance,’” safety Quentin Lake said Monday after the Rams completed an organized-team activity workout.
Chatter about Donald, 35, has been rampant since last week, when the Rams made another gigantic offseason move by trading for defensive end Myles Garrett.
The possibility of pairing Donald with Garrett — a two-time defensive player of the year — continues to intrigue both in and out of the Rams’ facility.
Like Lake, defensive lineman Kobie Turner insistently cautioned that whatever Donald decides to do or not do was his former teammate’s prerogative.
But the possibilities…
“To just have two historic, if you will, defensive players on that line together,” Turner said of pairing Donald and Garrett, “and to have the rest of us who are trying to build up our reputations, and to build to that level of greatness that they’ve been able to garner, I think that would be cool for L.A.”
Said defensive coordinator Chris Shula: “Would love to have him back — with open arms.”
Shula enters his third season overseeing a defense remade by the March trade for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, the signing of cornerback Jaylen Watson and the trade for Garrett.
With or without Donald, the Rams are regarded as a favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, which will be played in February at SoFi Stadium.
But the Rams are not hoisting the Lombardi Trophy just yet, Lake said.
“Some people say if he were to come back, just hand the Lombardi to us on a silver platter — but that’s never the case,” Lake said. “Is he a fantastic player? Yes.
“Are there so many things we could do in terms of pressures and blitzes and all that stuff? Of course. … It would be a fun year, I’ll say that.”
With quarterback Matthew Stafford — the NFL most valuable player — back to lead the offense, and McDuffie and Watson solving the team’s greatest weakness, the Rams already were regarded among the favorites to play in the Super Bowl for the first time since winning Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in 2022.
Then general manager Les Snead engineered the deal for Garrett, sending edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick and future second- and third-round picks to the Cleveland Browns for a player who has 125 ½ sacks in nine seasons.
Lake, Turner and Shula lamented losing Verse — “a brother for life,” Turner said — but they have welcomed Garrett.
“You give a great player to get a great player,” Lake said, “and luckily, we’ve got arguably the best defensive player in the NFL. … We’re not asking Myles to do anything but just be himself.”
Last season, Garrett amassed an NFL season-record 23 sacks.
Rams defensive end Myles Garrett sits between Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay, right, during a news conference on June 2.
(Ric Tapia / For The Times)
“We’re going to let him do what he does best,” Shula said, “and we all know exactly what he does best.”
McDuffie and Watson were part of Kansas City Chiefs teams that played in three consecutive Super Bowls, winning titles in 2023 and 2024. Those teams featured dominating pass rusher Chris Jones, so McDuffie knows how a player such as Garrett enables the defense to “flip the script” and attack offenses.
“You just talk about mentality,” McDuffie said, “and a swag.”
Donald, who has 111 sacks, would certainly add to that.
Not every player in their mid-30s could return and play at a high level after sitting out two seasons.
“I don’t think you do that if you’re a normal person,” Turner said, chuckling. “But A.D.’s not a normal person.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
This year’s NBA Finals is a rematch of the last time the Knicks made it to the championship series, way back at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season.
In that Finals, the Spurs defeated the Knicks in five games. Now, New York gets a shot to get its lick back, nearly 30 years later.
Regardless, whichever team wins this series will need huge performances from its star players.
Let’s check out the odds for NBA Finals MVP as of June 8 at FanDuel Sportsbook.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
2025-26 NBA Finals MVP
Jalen Brunson: +115 (bet $10 to win $21.50 total)
Karl-Anthony Towns: +165 (bet $10 to win $26.50 total)
Victor Wembanyama: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Before the Finals began, anyone not named Wembanyama or Brunson didn’t appear to have much of a chance at this award, at least according to the early odds.
However, now that New York is up 2-0, its second star, Karl-Anthony Towns, has crashed the party.
Towns has moved to second on the board after playing Wemby to a standstill through two games. In Game 2, KAT had 21 points (8-for-12 shooting), 13 rebounds and four assists. The Knicks won by one.
Brunson put up 20 points in Game 2, but was 7-for-25 from the field. He also had four turnovers.
Wembanyama finished Game 1 with 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. In Game 2, he had 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
-
New York28 minutes agoVideo: Spurs Beat Knicks, Quieting New York City Crowds
-
Los Angeles, Ca33 minutes agoIn-N-Out Burger opens new flagship location on Las Vegas Strip
-
Detroit, MI55 minutes agoMan arrested for concealing gun in baby stroller
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoFatal stabbing leads to fines at SF hospital
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoAdditional Mosquito Samples in Dallas, Carrollton Test Positive for West Nile Virus
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoA Greg Dulcich breakout – The Splash Zone 6/9/26
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoOfficials investigating death of child in South End – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoDenver Parks and Recreation begins work to rebuild historic bandshell destroyed in fire
