What has happened to NBA All Star Weekend?

The NBA All-Star break has arrived, though this may be news to you and many others. A once momentous part of the season has fallen off very far. The NBA picked a great weekend to do this, right after the Super Bowl and during the NHL break, and right before college basketball kicks into March Madness. So why has it become a forgotten event?

Seriously, I remember consuming every moment and event of NBA All-Star Saturday, and before the big social media days, talking all about the dunk contest with the buddies next week at school. I mean, the dunk contest used to be a peak sports event. So what has happened? Have we reached the point of no more new dunks? Are players blowing it off? Has it become too long? The answer may be a mixture of all of the above. But the biggest factor, when looking at the weekend, is to me the players. It used to be a spectacle in which you had the dudes of the league competing against one another, and then you’d throw in a random high-flyer who might be the 5th or 6th guy off the bench.

Think about it—some of the names of the past: Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Jason Richardson, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Zach LaVine, Nate Robinson, and Dwight Howard. Compared to the last few champions—Mac McClung (no disrespect, the dude can dunk, but not even on a team is tough... it's the NBA dunk contest), Obi Toppin, and Derrick Jones Jr.—we just aren't getting the same big names.

Then you add in other leagues competing with the NBA this weekend. The NHL has their "All-Star" event, creating so much buzz with the Four Nations tournament, and here we have the NBA with Druski "playing" basketball. Don’t forget college basketball’s all-time perfect timing heater of a week as #1 vs. #2 play today. The NBA, yet again, looks to be behind in what the viewers want to see. What is the answer? The fix?

Get your top guys back into it! I’ll agree that MLB might need some new buzz for their All-Star event too, BUT the big dogs still hammer it out in the home run derby. The NBA needs to get their stars to commit back to this thing. Until then, it will continue to become an afterthought or something we just check social media for to see the one or two "cool" dunks.

Bet Recap: ASU mashed, but their pitching failed us.

Bet of the Day:

02-15

Let’s not overthink

Auburn v Alabama over 172

Odds:-110(+114 with the DK boost)