Thunder swingman Jalen Williams made his first All-Star team last season, and he already has insight on how to fix it. With the event in decline, Williams described his experience while pointing out a major flaw in the format.
"I think it’s an easy fix," said Williams on the 'Out the Mud' podcast. "With everything, it’s just like, incentivize playing hard and maybe make the game shorter, and just play. I barely played in it because of the format. We only get a couple of quarters to play, and that’s it. I felt like I really wasn’t out there.”
Williams only got to play for eight minutes on the court, despite being a starter for Team Kenny. He went 1-of-3 from the field for two points in the nine-point loss to Team Chuck. It was the NBA's latest format change, but Williams says the biggest problem is with the players.
“I think we're trying to do a little too much with it," Williams added. "I think we're trying to make it entertaining when it's really just up to us to play a little harder. I think that's what people want to see. I'm down to do it. People don’t really want to watch the sideline stuff; they want to watch the LeBrons and Stephs go at each other.”
It's no secret that All-Star weekend as a whole has dropped in both quality and viewership over the years. In previous eras, from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, the weekend was one of the most highly anticipated stretches of the NBA season as all the best players (like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant) made sure to show up and show out to play.
In Sunday's main event, it was normal for players to be competitive, even if they didn't give their "all" on the court. In modern times, however, the situation has changed. The fans have noticed a shocking lack of effort from the All-Stars, which has ruined the entire allure of the game.
Even the dunk contest and three-point shootout have dropped in quality, due to a lack of participation and enthusiasm from the All-Stars. It's gotten to a point where some players don't even bother to show up for the big All-Star game anymore, like LeBron James, who feigned an ankle injury that ruled him out for the big day.
Going into the 2025-26 season, it remains to be seen what improvements or adjustments will be made, but the goal is to get the actual players more invested. For starters, the NBA could drop these awkward formats and revert to the traditional formula. It will give the All-Stars more time in the spotlight, who might be more incentivized to play harder in an East vs. West showdown.
More importantly, the NBA needs to drop all of the extra sideshows, which can be a distraction to both the players and fans. If they can just keep the focus on basketball and leave the theatrics to the celebrity game, it'll go a long way toward establishing a more serious tone for the players.
Ultimately, the biggest appeal to watching the NBA's All-Star weekend is to see the best players in the league face off against each other. There's also the added bonus of watching them team up for a common cause. That works best when the All-Stars are committed and competitive in the game, and Williams is ready to meet that standard if he gets in again for 2026.
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