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The 2023 NBA All-Star in Salt Lake City left a bad taste in the mouth of many pundits, fans and media members.
While defense has never been and shouldn’t be a main thing of focus in the All-Star Game, after very competitive games in 2020 and 2022, this year was just a horrific display of basketball. It wasn’t even a real game, nor a scrimmage at times, rather than just a couple of friends jacking up half-court shots with the world watching.
Granted, a much smaller part of the world as usual – according to figures published by Sports Media Watch, the game Sunday averaged a combined 2.2 rating and 4.59 million viewers, which is a significant decline from the 2022 All-Star Game, which averaged a 3.1 rating (a previous record low) and 6.28 million viewers.
Even All-Star head coach Michael Malone admitted that it was “the worst basketball game ever played.”
Then yesterday, during the Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers game, former coach and commentator Jeff Van Gundy vouched for the All-Star Game to be terminated for good.
“Jayson Tatum… MVP. It should be the last MVP ever given. The All-Star Game needs to be abolished, like the Pro-Bowl. The Commissioner can’t do anything about it, the guys don’t want to play? Have the weekend, have a fashion show, whatever but don’t play that game.”
