The 2023 NBA All Star Game has been run and won by Team Giannis despite losing their captain only seconds into the game.
As is now the case with any All Star Game, it looked more like a casual game of pick-up basketball than a serious contest.
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Holding a 17 point lead entering the final term, it was always going to be near on impossible for Team LeBron to overcome the margin as Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum erupted for an All Star game record 55 points, scoring a record-breaking 27 points in the third quarter.
Team Giannis claimed the dominant 184-175 victory, with Tatum claiming the easiest MVP trophy to be announced.
Like each and every year the contest produced some eye-watering highlights, mainly coming in the third quarter.
Portland’s Damian Lillard showed off his out of this world range as he pulled up before he even crossed the halfway line, hitting nothing but the bottom of the net.
Celtics teammates Tatum and Jaylen Brown then went head-to-head on multiple possessions as every other player on the court stood back and watched the action unfold.
Sadly that was about as good as it got in 2023 with players putting in even less effort than has been displayed in years gone by.
The damning spectacle has become nothing more than a glorified uncontested shooting contest between some of the biggest names in the game.
“That is the worst basketball game ever played,” Nuggets coach Mike Malone said.
“I don’t know if you can fix it. I give Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving (credit), those guys were competing.
“Joel was imploring some of the guys to play harder, to try and get some defence in … that is a tough game to sit through, I’m not gonna lie.”
Fans watching on were quick to condemn the showing and call on the league to make an immediate change to the format to bring the All Star Game back to its glory days.
The NBA have to put something bigger on the line in years to come, if not the All Star Game will just continue to be an absolutely nothing showcase that will only alienate fans further.
If the players aren’t going to care about the game, why should the fans.
Thankfully now we don’t have to worry about the All Star Game again for another 12 months.
