Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Sometimes the old geezer sitting on his porch and hollering about the young’uns has a point. Generations often throw shade on their descendants, suggesting they lack this or have an excess of that. But in the case of Pops vs. Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, the evidence is overwhelming:
Today’s players couldn’t care less about the exhibition that once meant something to everyone.
“Back in my day” fans never saw an All-Star team surpass 200 points. They never saw the teams combine for 397 points. They never saw one team sink 42 three-pointers. You know another record set in the East’s 211-186 blowout against the West?
The teams combined to register the least competitive effort and the lowest give-a-damn ratio in NBA history.
I remember a time when the All-Star Game was enjoyable, though it’s been impossible to watch the last decade. Players treat defense like it’s a capital offense. Count me out. But I won’t cast aspersions on this crop led by elder statesman LeBron James.
They’re just built different, which isn’t necessarily a judgment on their character. Besides, rightly or wrongly, preceding generations play a role and bear some responsibility for their offspring’s growth and condition.
Maybe NBA players have reached the point where “meaningful exhibition” is just an oxymoron that no longer makes sense.
“I think it’s something we need to figure out,” James told Yahoo Sports after not playing in the second half. “Because this is what the game is like now. More pace into the game, more shots. Freedom of movement. That’s what the regular season is like, and let’s tighten up into the postseason.”
In addition to fixing the ASG, Commissioner Adam Silver must brace for impact and position the league for James’ eventual departure. The all-time leading…
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