NBA greats pushed again on Golden State Warriors star Draymond Inexperienced’s evaluation of the All-Star Sport’s latest format and the state of the league.
As an alternative of an East vs. West format this 12 months, the NBA modified the format for the sport to a mini match between 4 completely different groups picked by Shaquille O’Neal, Candace Parker, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. Stephen Curry led Shaq’s crew to a win, and he picked up the All-Star Sport MVP award.
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Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie, #00, and Golden State Warriors ahead Draymond Inexperienced, #23, in motion in the course of the recreation between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors on the American Airways Middle in Dallas on Feb. 12, 2025. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Pictures)
Inexperienced was requested to charge the format on a scale of 1-10. He mentioned it was a “zero.”
“You work all year to be an All-Star and you get to play up to 40, and then you’re done. This is so unfair to Victor Wembanyama, who just took this game really seriously,” he mentioned, through the New York Publish. “Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who just took this game really seriously. When you talk about chasing after the points record, Melo, Kobe and all these guys that had great scoring nights. They don’t get the opportunity to do that with this game.
“All so we are able to watch some rising stars. We about to observe the Olympic crew, now we get the deal with of watching the Olympic crew play towards a U-19 crew. Come on, what are we doing? That is ridiculous.”
He also said, “this sucks” and “it ain’t basketball.”
Barkley and fellow Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson took Green’s remarks to task.
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Barkley put the onus on Green and his generation of basketball stars for the lack of importance of the All-Star Game.
“I’m going to disagree with Draymond quite a bit. I take advantage of the analogy like when the youngsters mess up the home, you make them clear it up they usually’re complaining. They messed the sport up. … His technology messed the sport up.
From left to proper, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley stand at mid-court to be honored in the course of the NBA All-Star basketball recreation on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025 in San Francisco. (AP Photograph/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
“So don’t act like he’s mad because they’re trying to use rookies … We’re doing every type of trick to make this game exciting.”
Inexperienced additionally ruffled the feathers of Oscar Robertson in the course of the weekend.
The NBA champion mentioned video games proper now are “boring” with “no substance.” The appearance of elevated 3-point capturing has been responsible. NBA scores have additionally suffered due to recreation play in the course of the common season.
“Every possession is some type of chess move. You don’t get that today in the NBA often. … You don’t just get that on a regular basis. It’s just who can run faster, who can hit more threes. It’s no substance. I think it’s very boring,” he mentioned.
Robertson had no time for Inexperienced’s remarks.
“Who cares what Draymond says? It doesn’t mean anything,” Robertson mentioned on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “This is what I mean, one guy can say this, another guy can say that. The game is what it is. Either people like the game or they don’t, and I think people enjoy the game, especially if their team can win.
Oscar Robertson talks with filmmaker Spike Lee before the All Star-HBCU game at Oakland Arena in Oakland, California, on Feb. 15, 2025. (Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)
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“And when you have a look at the basketball, it could be boring to him as a result of if he’s not passing the ball to Curry, what’s he doing? I imply, to not single that out as a result of I feel he is aware of the right way to play basketball, however he’s passing to Curry greater than anybody I’ve ever seen in basketball. So it could be boring to him at occasions trigger perhaps to him at occasions as a result of he’s not capturing quite a bit, he’s not guarding quite a bit, so it will get boring.”
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