Jun 2, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports A lot of planning goes into an NBA All-Star Game. That doesn’t mean a lot of thought goes into it.
When San Francisco’s trademark fog acts as a closing curtain on the festivities Sunday night, the All-Star Game will be remembered for three things.
The sad part is: two of the three didn’t even take place.
Let’s examine what could have been:
The Clark struck midnight
No doubt, the highlight of All-Star weekend would have been national icon Caitlin Clark vs. hometown hero Stephen Curry in a made-for-TV shootout that could have taken 3-point brilliance to heights never previously seen.
Alas, Clark wants to host the event next summer in Indianapolis. Maybe she’ll invite Curry.
But losing the star attraction doesn’t cancel the main event. For crying out loud, the Super Bowl had a national anthem even after Taylor Swift elected to sit it out.
No doubt, the NBA tried to come up with SOMETHING. You don’t get many (any?) opportunities like this: A Curry-hosted game in the NBA hometown of Klay Thompson, with two other A-list logo-launching options in Bay Area natives Sabrina Ionescu and Damian Lillard.
The possibilities were endless. The creativity wasn’t. Heck, they made the dunk event all about Vince Carter when the Bay Area is home to an even greater dunk trendsetter, J.R. Rider.
What could they have done? They could have asked me …
Curry and Ionescu, shooting rapid-fire 3-pointers from designated spots well beyond the arc with a time limit, vs. LeBron James and Angel Reese from marks uptown rather than downtown. The old Good vs. Evil duel of historic 49ers fame.
Ah, but there’s more. Curry and Ionescu are teamed with Brock Purdy and the face of the new Golden State Valkyries, Kate Martin. James and Reese get Aaron Rodgers and Tonya Harding. The sidekicks are standing on the baseline, armed with miniature rubber ‘Kyrie basketballs, taking unlimited aim at the shooters in a dodgeball-style frenzy.
It could have blown the roof off the place.
Or you can have Winston Garland’s son on center stage. Take your pick.
Sometimes TNT fizzles
May 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Shaquille O’Neal watches the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Such is the nature of sports that the bosses get accused of outlandish things. Like paying off Super Bowl refs. And emailing broadcasters Jayson Tatum promotional scripts.
Here’s another…
Is there any doubt the All-Star Game roster selection wasn’t rigged?
Shaq gets all the old-timers. Charles a foreign contingent. And Kenny a bunch of up-and-comers. It couldn’t have been scripted more Bachelor-esque.
Then—wink, wink—Shaq’s collection of Old Format MVPs draws the NBA’s farm club (aka the Rising Stars winners) in an effort to light on fire the sneakers of LeBron, Curry, Kevin Durant and a bunch of 30-somethings with no interest in working up a sweat while on vacation.
Meanwhile, led by Luka Doncic and more interested in stuffing themselves at the pregame spread, Charles’ across-the-pond, see-food eaters get matched up with a bunch of USA 2028 Olympic wannabes.
All in the interest of ratcheting up the energy level in a fan-unfriendly effort to prove that defense wins All-Star championships.
Coincidence? We’ll know for sure if Tim Donaghy tosses the opening tip.
Getting Mullie, Timmy … but not Iggy with it
Mar 7, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) reacts after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Oklahoma City won 137-128. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images OK, so you have a desperately contrived All-Star Game. Or worse, All-Star Games. You know this going in.
Wouldn’t it be wise to have a safety net?
The Warriors have announced they plan on retiring Andre Iguodala’s number next week. Great guy. Well deserved. No doubt, the entire league will take a moment and applaud.
So why not do it when everyone can witness it—immediately following the All-Star Game?
Remember, Iguodala wasn’t just Golden State’s star performer. He also had successful stints with the 76ers, Nuggets and Heat, a four-time champ, one-time All-Star and Finals MVP and perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate who multiple times earned Sixth Man votes for his unselfishness.
It’s hard not to like the guy, both on and off the court.
So after the winning target number is lowered due to time constraints, you have an exhausted Nikola Jokic, with pizza sauce on his jersey, missing the potential game-winning shot, leading to a Jalen Williams (not sure which one) layup—not even a dunk—as the half-filled arena joins the half-asleep national audience in collective boos.
Back to you, Ernie.
Instead, you could have Iguodala come out, bring the crowd to its feet, and cap a great weekend—one that the Warriors have expertly interjected with franchise legends Curry, Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway and Baron Davis—with a lasting uplifting impression.
A goodbye kiss, if you will.
Even Tonya Harding would skate off a winner. Imagine that.
