NBA's All-Star Game has become unwatchable, and it also might be unfixable
CBSFeb 19
NBA All-Star Game Breaches Historic Scoring Milestone
The Facts
The NBA All-Star Game saw the first team in league history to score 200 or more points in a single game as the Eastern Conference took down the Western Conference in Sunday’s battle.
The typically high-scoring event ended with the East winning 211 to 186 and Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks taking home the game's Most Valuable Player award MVP.
The Spin
Narrative A
For many years the NBA All-Star Game has been essentially unwatchable, but Sunday’s debacle took the event to a new level. With an absurd 97 3-pointers attempted, it's clear that none of the players care one iota about the game. Careening through the historic 200-point barrier is unacceptable. Adam Silver has tried many different twists to reignite the exhibition game, but after this performance, this event can't be saved.
Narrative B
Amid the controversy, the NBA All-Star Game saw history be made, and the exhibition was filled with highlights and fascinating moments. Obviously, the match doesn't have the same fire as a normal game, but the beauty of the All-Star Game is showcasing the league's brightest stars all on one stage. At the end of the day, a historic record fell — All-Star Weekend is about fun, and the contest is filled with it.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Wilt Chamberlain's single-game NBA scoring record will be broken before at least January 1, 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.