For those of you still paying attention, the NBA All-Star Weekend is set for its 57th go-around beginning this afternoon with the NBA All-Star Jam Session.
I ask if you’re still aware because, lately, the annual gathering of NBA All-Stars has given us little to fuss about. Admit it. At one point or another in your life, each one of you has owned a VHS recording of some All-Star event, whether it was the Slam Dunk Contest, the 3-point Shootout or the big game itself. You taped it because you knew it might be something special you could watch again and again.
Since then, you’ve likely taped over the All-Star recordings with family reunions, weddings and your little brother singing Michael Jackson in the shower. (Hey, those were the days of VHS.)
What I would give to have my recording of the 1988 dunk-off between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins or the lasting image of Larry Bird sinking the winning 3-pointer with his shooting hand still held high in that year’s 3-point contest.
All of us remember in 1991 when Celtics’ rookie Dee Brown pumped his inflatable sneakers and proceeded to soar — with his forearm across his eyes — for one of the most memorable dunks in history.
Back then, All-Star Weekend meant something. You could count on some of the league’s best stars showing up for the sideshow events, but nowadays those same superstars will take a flyer on the actual All-Star Game.
The All-Star Weekend is one of the few things the NBA has over its top competitors — the NFL and MLB. The Nielsen ratings for the other leagues’ All-Star games regularly hover just above VH1’s “Rock of Love” and below “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.”
But the NBA could do so much better. For instance, the league needs to return to an eight-player format for both the Slam Dunk and Three-point contests to ensure those few extra snobs get a chance to showcase what they can do. And bring back the star dunkers. I’m calling you out, Kobe, LeBron, D-Wade and T-Mac.
Some of the latest additions and innovations have been unbearable, but others could stick around. They’ve got to dump the Haier Shooting Stars competition, which features current NBA players, former NBA players and WNBA players in three-on-three shooting competitions. Nobody wants to see former Pistons’ Bill Laimbeer sweating in a jersey.
The McDonald’s Celebrity Game can go, too, as fun as it is to see rapper Nelly toss up air balls and bricks.
The NBA is introducing a twist on this year’s Slam Dunk Contest for the tech-savvy generation. Fans will text in their votes for the best dunk — a much better alternative to the panel of former dunkers (some of whom are centenarians) who can barely judge between a windmill dunk and a windmill in Holland.
This year’s NBA Development League All-Stars are experimenting with a new event that has old roots — H.O.R.S.E. The classic game actually held a place in the All-Star rotation of events through the ’70s.
I, for one, am hoping this game catches on and returns to the NBA level. If anyone has seen old footage of former NBA great “Pistol Pete” Maravich dominate a game of H.O.R.S.E., you’ll quickly gain a new respect for how talented NBA players are. Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace would have to be a favorite in today’s game. His trick shots on YouTube have to be seen to be understood.
But until the league fixes a few things with its NBA All-Star Weekend, I’ll likely be out doing other things and letting my DVR do the work. Just in case I miss something.