The NBA’s annual All-Star Weekend has come and gone. It was one of the most memorable iterations of the event with fantastic events and storylines all around.
The NBA showcased a promising grouping of young, talented players on Friday in the Rising Stars Challenge. Saturday night was perhaps the best it has ever been in NBA history with a new wrinkle in the Skills Challenge, a star-studded lineup in a fantastic three point shootout and the night ended with one of the greatest dunk contests of all time. Finally, Sunday saw the final All-Star Game for Kobe Bryant, the soon to be retired Lakers legend. The night was complete with tribute videos, ovations, and speeches, signaling the beginning of the end for career of a living legend.
It was an altogether successful weekend for the NBA in Toronto. But that does not mean that the league can’t improve it. NBA All-Star Weekend is about honoring the best players while entertaining fans with fun events. The NBA does it better than probably any other league, but I think that there is room for improvement. Feel free to e-mail this to NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Legends Join in on Three Point Shootout
This could either be really fun or really disastrous and I’m willing to find out which. There are several legends who could come out of retirement for one night just to compete in the three point shoot out. Tell me you wouldn’t love to watch Reggie Miller try to beat Steph Curry or Dennis Scott try to hold their own against Klay Thompson or even Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith try to keep up with rookie deep-shooting sensation Devin Booker. The old guys haven’t lost their shooting touch, though they might struggle with fatigue as they get to the later racks. Either way, I want to experiment with having some old guys try to out shoot the new generation that is shooting threes at previously unheard of rates.
Professional Dunkers in the Dunk Contest
We just had arguably the best dunk contest in NBA history. I can understand if the NBA does not want to mess with something that great. But the truth of the matter is that over the last decade or so, we have had way more unremarkable dunk contests than memorable ones. One way to fix that issue could be bringing in one professional dunker (and perhaps the D-League dunk contest winner) to compete next to the NBA guys.
There are dunkers outside of the NBA that can do some incredible things but are not generally seen in as wide of a frame as the NBA. It would be great for the NBA to showcase them in this event. A professional dunker like Jordan Kilganon or the D-League Dunk contest winner John Jordan have done some sensational stuff recently.
Additionally, it might bring out the best dunks from NBA players hoping to not lose to someone off the street. The only downside to this to this in my eyes is that NBA players may abstain from the dunk contest as they might feel embarrassed to lose to a pro dunker or even a guy playing in the D-League. Stars often decline to go into the contest, possibly due to that exact reason, so it could be a risk to make this an addition to the event. However, the potential benefits that come from it could be very much worth it.
Playground Rules Teams
This idea is probably the one I want to see implemented the most. The idea was originally brought to my attention by The Starters and I have loved it ever since I’ve heard it. The suggestion entails that teams are chosen on the spot by captains much like your pickup games at the local park.
There are different iterations to how captains would be chosen, whether they are built by two non-players (say, Shaq and Charles Barkley) or letting the top two vote getters assume the role. I prefer the second version if only for the fact that it could create drama. Will a captain forego choosing one of his own teammates to choose a better opposing player? Will players with longstanding feuds end up playing next to each other or will they do their best to avoid being on the same team? There are so many intriguing storylines that could come out of this.
Most importantly, it could lead to some added competitiveness. To be clear, I don’t have much of a problem with the players just having fun, making sure they’re not injured, and generally entertaining everyone with offensive plays. But, it would be nice to see some added competitive behavior, at least in the fourth quarter. Choosing teams could at least lead to last-picked players trying to prove everyone wrong. NBA players have egos, believe it or not, and they will do their best to prove each other wrong. Maybe they won’t go hard for 48 minutes, but 8-12 minutes of competitive basketball between the greatest players in the league can’t hurt.
