NBA All-Star

Who stood out, for better or worse, in Salt Lake City? We break down Jayson Tatum's MVP, Mac McClung's win, and more from the star-studded festivities.

Maybe it was gamesmanship, maybe it was a favor to the NBA (after all, half the event was known as Team Giannis). If the pass is imprecise, the timing is off, or the dunk is missed, the element of surprise is gone and Murphy gets eliminated. The Elam Ending was praised as a savior concept for the All-Star Game itself, but watching the first three quarters was like getting a basketball lobotomy. [repeatedly and soundly dismissed the notion this weekend](https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/nba/grizzlies/2023/02/19/ja-morant-dunk-contest-nba-all-star-game/69921796007/). Mann: It could just be me—I’ve seen a bunch of these—but it definitely feels like All-Star Weekend is teetering on the edge of a cliff before this event enters a real era of free fall. Look, is it weird for a G League player to win the Dunk Contest? Kyle Mann:](https://www.theringer.com/authors/j-kyle-mann) The distance between his status among all the greatest basketball players in the world and his level of giving a shit this weekend is immeasurable. But when you consider that 99 percent of people in attendance didn’t know who he was entering the weekend, you’ve got to give it up to McClung for making sure everyone remembers his name. Early on and throughout long stretches of the game, several stars jostled for the trophy, but Tatum eventually separated himself from a pack that was highlighted by Donovan Mitchell (in what would’ve been a very sweet homecoming), Kyrie Irving, Joel Embiid, and Jaylen Brown, who engaged his Celtics teammate in several friendly but spirited one-on-one clashes in the middle of the game. When turnovers, errant shots, and wasted possessions don’t translate to regular-season losses, the court becomes a playground for them to freestyle and test the limits of their ability. Sohi: For the second year in a row, LeBron and Giannis, the respective captains of the Western and Eastern Conference teams, chose their players in a pickup-style draft. Was it Mac McClung emerging from anonymity to win the Dunk Contest?

The recent NBA All-Star game has come in for some criticism, with Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone certainly not mincing his words regarding the ...

Smith stated that he'd like to see the players put in as much effort in the All-Star game as they do behind closed doors. What I am trying to say is that we do not need to see a basketball game taking place where you play harder in summer competition when you are working out than at an All-Star game. "If you can go and play harder in the summer when they work out, then you should be able to play that hard in the All-Star game. In that era players would see the leagues best players go at each other in an high intensity game. Joel was imploring some of the guys to play harder, to try to get some defense in. It's an honour to be a part of a great weekend, great players.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone had a front-row seat at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game and he was not impressed with the players' effort.

"There was no effort whatsoever," Smith said. In recent years, the league Malone coached Team LeBron in the game. "… NBA viewing future, more](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2023/02/20/nba-all-star-weekend-game-takeaways/11305187002/) [scored 55 points to break the All-Star game scoring record](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2023/02/19/tatum-scores-all-star-record-55-team-giannis-wins-184-175/69923347007/).

NBA All-Star Weekend is complete, and with it comes the playoff race and some takeaways from weekend including dunk contest and competitive landscape.

Cleveland All-Star Donovan Mitchell said the Cavs are part of the group, but they might be a year away from true contention, But how many teams have a legitimate chance to win the championship? After watching clips of NBA and college football games in a brief demo, it is an amazing viewing experience. It’s competitive in the NBA this season. Cosm calls it shared reality because the idea is to watch with friends and other sports fans in a theater-style venue where you can also purchase food and drinks. Cosm announced a partnership with the NBA on Thursday and plans to open its first venue in Los Angeles near SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome in the spring of 2024, followed by another venue in Dallas. Discovery Sports expires after the 2024-25 season, and the league will seek a lucrative deal, impacting players’ salaries and the value of franchises. At least 12 teams in the East are competing for a spot in the playoffs. “I think that it would be an awkward position to say to a player: You must enter the Dunk Contest. Can McClung jump-start the event so that it regains its status as a must-see Saturday night event during All-Star Weekend, and will he return for next year’s event? “I think that’s a reflection of the incredible quality of play we have in this league.” Golden State might be in the final days of its dynasty and LeBron James could miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season – something he hasn’t done since his first two seasons in the league two decades ago.

The Nuggets coach didn't mince words after the non-competitive ASG, adding 'I don't know how you fix it'

These are the elite of the elite, and they're simply not going to risk their health for a game that ultimately has no bearing on standings. In the process, he caught his hand on the rim and was ruled out for the second half due to the injury. More captains, pick teams of five, have a round robin tournament with games to 21. We really don't need a traditional All-Star Game if this is gonna be the product. Joel was imploring some of the guys to play harder, to try to get some defense in. It's an honor to be a part of a great weekend, great players.

The NBA All-Star Game, for all its fanfare and pageantry, was a letdown with no defense or intensity leading to uncontested dunks and long-range shots.

Nikola Jokic, the front-runner for most valuable player — which would be his third in a row — admitted that he had no place out on the court. You do float that line of, for a guy like me that likes to play on the defensive side, when is it, at what point, do you turn the defense up?” The game itself doesn’t need to be good — the moments are what most people remember anyway. It was just a glorified layup line,” Brown said. One agent suggested that maybe if players had more time off before and after the game the product would look better. “This was like a layup line. On Saturday during media day when players get asked goofy questions, one reporter asked players like Jokic what it would look like if they disguised themselves and played a high school game today. “I liked the last format. It’s always great to have an opportunity to try new formats, new ways to spice up the game, spice up the viewership and things of that nature.” I liked the format on TV. “That was just highlights and layups and jump shots. I think it was a little bit — it looked fun, more fun, cooler, whatever the case may be.