Jeff Van Gundy says NBA All-Star Game has to be fixed: 'It's an embarrassment'
The NBA All-Star Game isn’t for everyone. For years now, basketball fans have complained that the players don’t give their all during the event. Defense is basically non-existent, which explains why the losing team has scored at least 130 points during the contest the past 10 years.
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Former NBA coach turned commentator Jeff Van Gundy isn’t real happy with the way the All-Star Game has gone lately. He went off on the contest, calling it an “embarrassment” and a “bastardization of the game,” according to the Associated Press.
Van Gundy wasn’t just frustrated with the lack of effort on defense, but he also expressed disappointment at the over-reliance on threes during this year’s game.
“To take this game and shoot 160 threes, it’s an embarrassment. It’s an embarrassment.”
The 2019 NBA All-Star Game featured 167 three-point attempts. Team LeBron beat Team Giannis 178-164. LeBron James’ team trailed by 20 points in the second quarter, and relied heavily on three-pointers to reclaim the lead.
That style of play isn’t suited for the most talented players, according to Van Gundy.
”You can be a Division III player like myself and be All-Star MVP,” Van Gundy said. ”All you have to do is drive in and shoot a layup.”
While Van Gundy probably isn’t going to get his way anytime soon, he might have a point. The 2019 NBA All-Star Game drew some low ratings.
Something may need to change in order to get fans interested in the contest. Merely having big names isn’t cutting it anymore.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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