First of all, other than baseball, the NBA offers the best events leading up to the game. The skills contest normally starts off the all-star weekend and it is not the most exciting one out there but when you have players like Steve Nash and Brandon Jennings going against
each other during these competitions. I think it is exciting to watch rising stars play against the veterans who may be doing these for years. It is very fast paced and I believe that unlike other all-star events, the players actually try to win. The skills competition is probably my least favorite of them all but I prefer it over the celebrity softball game. Another event is the Rookie Challenge, which can be exciting if the right players are chosen. It is usually the sophomore team who comes up victorious but it is really cool to see the rookies work together to show what they are made of and the potential that they have.My favorite events, other than the game itself, is the dunk contest and the three-point shootout. The three-point shootout is a great event when the players picked have the highest percentage of three-pointers in the league. It was nice this year to see Paul Pierce square off against rookie sensation Stephen Curry and rising star Danilo Gallinari. All this contest needed was Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, who are absolutely dominant from beyond the arc. Although the dunk contest took a significant hit this year without the hype of Nate Robinson vs. Dwight Howard, I still think that it is the best event leading up to the all-star game. I feel like every year, the league invites some of the most unknown players to this contest when it should be a dunk fest featuring greats like LeBron, Kobe, Wade, Howard and Robinson. I mean, not to play hometown favorite, but the judging system is relatively shaky. I know Nate Robinson jumped over Spud Webb, but Andre Iguodala should have won it in 2006 with this dunk. What ever happened to that kind of creativity though? Gerald Green...a perfect example...he blew out a candle on a cupcake during this dunk. It should be competitive but fun at the same time and it seems like the fun went away this year. The NBA games have their flaws but when you have the best dunkers out there, which was not the case this year, it is something that I love sitting down to watch. I guess what I am trying to say is that if you put the best guys out there, it is one of the most awesome competitions to watch.
Finally, on to the game itself. I always hear people talking about no defense and stuff like that but the NBA is nowhere near the horrific defense played in the Pro Bowl. I see the NBA All-Star Game as more of a show than a game, which makes it more enjoyable for me. I thought this year's game was really good for the most part...a lot of high flying alley-oops paired with a rally by the western conference in the fourth quarter. The NBA is a star league these days, so seeing LeBron and Dwyane dunking from all around and throwing up alley-oops to each other...it is just cool to see that an all-star game can be fun and competitive at the same time. There isn't much defense but I do not think that is too much of an issue. In basketball, there are so many things you can do with dunking and everything, that makes it a good game to watch. I mean where else are you gonna see Dwight Howard hit a three-pointer? I think the best part of the game is seeing these star players work together to put on a good show for the fans, and that is really all this all-star game needs to be, since not much of anything is at stake.
So to recap, the NBA was my #1 followed by MLB, NHL and the NFL all-star games. I truly believe that if each game was spot on in all cylinders, that the NBA would still rule over baseball in my opinion....not by much, but it would. Improvements should be made in each of the four to make it a better game to watch, but not everyone can get what they wish for.
Finally, on to the game itself. I always hear people talking about no defense and stuff like that but the NBA is nowhere near the horrific defense played in the Pro Bowl. I see the NBA All-Star Game as more of a show than a game, which makes it more enjoyable for me. I thought this year's game was really good for the most part...a lot of high flying alley-oops paired with a rally by the western conference in the fourth quarter. The NBA is a star league these days, so seeing LeBron and Dwyane dunking from all around and throwing up alley-oops to each other...it is just cool to see that an all-star game can be fun and competitive at the same time. There isn't much defense but I do not think that is too much of an issue. In basketball, there are so many things you can do with dunking and everything, that makes it a good game to watch. I mean where else are you gonna see Dwight Howard hit a three-pointer? I think the best part of the game is seeing these star players work together to put on a good show for the fans, and that is really all this all-star game needs to be, since not much of anything is at stake.
So to recap, the NBA was my #1 followed by MLB, NHL and the NFL all-star games. I truly believe that if each game was spot on in all cylinders, that the NBA would still rule over baseball in my opinion....not by much, but it would. Improvements should be made in each of the four to make it a better game to watch, but not everyone can get what they wish for.
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