This Year’s NBA All-Star Game

By Ozzie Landy ‘22

The annual NBA All-Star game, generally in February or March, is where the top NBA players are selected to participate in a one-off contest. The All-Star game draws in huge crowds and generates lots of revenue for the NBA. However, like so much else, this exciting weekend  was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
There was not any crowd of spectators or fans, which meant fewer jersey sales, food sales and sponsorships. Before COVID-19, the NBA All-Star weekend would attract all types of celebrities, such as famous actors and rappers.

This year, the NBA All-Star weekend took place in Atlanta. While a very talented group of players participated, there were some prominent “snubs” of players who did not make the cut.
For example, Phoenix Suns star shooting guard Devin Booker was not originally selected, despite averaging roughly 25 points a game and leading the Phoenix Suns to their best record in years. Fortunately for disappointed Suns fans, Booker was selected to the game as a replacement for injured Lakers forward Anthony Davis. 
Booker’s story has raised many questions from fans, NBA personnel and media around the league. Should fans, the media, team success or fellow players be the ones deciding who makes the game? Typically, NBA All-Star voting does not reflect the success of a player’s team, but as we have seen in the past, star players have not made the team even if they are putting up outstanding stats.
Bradley Beal, a top shooting guard in the NBA from the Washington Wizards, is a prime example of this. Despite averaging around 30 points per game last season, he was not selected to the team due to the Wizards’ poor record. Should the league regulate the selection process to ensure that there is a fair and consistent operation? Although the game is just for fun, there are many contract incentives, with some worth as much as millions of dollars, that revolve around a player making the All-Star team.