“I can’t believe anyone watches it” – Twitter reacts to the 2023 All-star game being the least viewed in the last 20 years
2023 was the least viewed all-star game of the last 20 years and it has fans up in arms about the lack of entertainment.
Follow Us
All-star game
The 2023 NBA regular season has been a treat to watch but the all-star game was a massive disappointment. The viewership for the all-star game dropped 27% from last year which is a very concerning issue for fans and players alike. NBA Twitter took this as an opportunity to express their displeasure towards the event. One user simply said, “The @StephenCurry30 effect.” Steph scored 50 points in the 2021 all-star game with 16 three-pointers breaking all-star records.
The main gripe people had with the game was the lack of competitiveness. “The players are literally standing there letting people shoot… it’s a demo they’re barely playing who would waste the time?,” said one Twitter user. One particular image that went viral was of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum facing up while the rest of the players just watch. Here are some of the reaction:
Most users pointed to the fact that the format needs to be changed as other US sports such as NFL and MLB have done. One user, however, did make a good point saying, “most of the big names were injured.” Giannis Antetokounmpo had a wrist injury and just played the first 15 seconds of the game. Meanwhile, All-stars such as Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Zion Williamson were all sidelined due to injuries. The all-star game is slowly losing its popularity amongst the masses and the NBA needs to make some changes.
The NBA needs to start by bringing back East vs West all-star games
The NBA always had the All-star game as Eastern Conference v Western conference up until 2017. After that, they decided to introduce the captain format which allows the top vote-getters from each conference to pick teams. In hindsight, it is pretty clear the league wanted to see Stephen Curry and LeBron James on the same team as they were in different conferences.
The All-star game should be the best pickup game ever played, and not what it is right now. These players either need an incentive to take it seriously because the format does not seem to be helping either. Each quarter starts with the points reset and the last quarter does not even have a game clock. The NBA has turned a game of basketball into a customized exhibition game for kids.
The best example of a perfect All-star game is 2001. Firstly the jerseys were incredible as each player wore the jersey of their own NBA team and not a tailor-made All-star jersey. This gave the game a much more authentic feel as if it was a pickup game. Each team went toe to toe without going overboard on defense but keeping the game competitive. The game ended up being decided by one point with Stephon Marbury and Kobe Bryant exchanging daggers at the end. The current format is not the worst ever, but it does need some tweaking to take it back to the heights of the early 2000s.
In case you missed it:
- “We want Russ to be Russ,” Clippers HC Tyronn Lue expects ‘big plays’ from Russell Westbrook and wants him to become the MVP
- Who will host this year’s WrestleMania in Hollywood?
Do follow us on Google News | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Stay Updated!
Anuj Shrikanth Iyer
(290 Articles Published)