By Griffin Powell

Every February, the NBA gathers its best athletes and stars to put on a show for fans in a one weekend event known as the All-Star game festivities. These events are home to some of the most memorable moments in the sport of basketball, from Kobe Bryant’s all-star heroics and Michael Jordan’s famous free throw line dunk to Vince Carter’s showtime performances in the dunk contest.

It has always been a time to celebrate the greatest athletes in the game and give the fans exactly what they want, which is entertainment. However, over the past few years, the All-Star events have taken a turn and people are no longer as interested as they once were. The Collegian had a chance to speak with a few GC students on why they were less invested in the All-Star festivities.

There are many assumptions to why the All-Star games have taken a hit. Some claim it is due to lack of fan support, while others claim the NBA has turned more towards viewership and money rather than entertainment.

“The NBA has been so focused on funds and advertising and its obvious. They have done this in ways that we have not even noticed – longer commercial breaks or the ads they digitally place on the court – it is frustrating,” said student Aidan Eller when asked about how the NBA is worried too much about profit.

Others believe that the All-Star game needs to retain its originality aspect. It seems the commissioner, Adam Silver, has taken a new approach and created new formats for the All-Star game rather than keeping the four-quarter format.

“I do miss the originality aspect of the format of things,” said junior Will Gray about the four-quarter format. “It just felt more entertaining to watch and felt longer overall.”

The overall festivities from the event have taken a toll. Lack of creativity in the dunk contest has really been addressed by many fans. A notable dunk contest would be 2016’s Aaron Gordon vs Zach Lavine. What was once an event highlighted by showtime dunks and tricks has turned into a gold sticker contest. The event has no stars who participate and are being competed in by G-League players. The best of the best choose to sit out of the All-Star game due to either risk of injury or just believing there is no point in participating.

It is apparent that the All-Star Weekend needs some tuning and readjusting. Whatever the changes may be, who knows, but the league must find the inspiration to create ideas for fans to be engaged.