Latest news with #All-StarSaturday
Fox Sports
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
5 ways to fix NBA All-Star Weekend after widely panned 2025 event
It takes a lot to get a near-unanimous opinion on any sports matter these days, but the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend achieved that. The festivities in the Bay Area were panned across the board, with almost everyone disliking the tournament-style All-Star Game and some of the events on All-Star Saturday. In fact, Draymond Green, who was a part of TNT's coverage for Sunday's game, called the format "ridiculous," adding that it was a "zero" out of 10 on the excitement scale. So yeah, it's time for NBA commissioner Adam Silver to get back in the lab and tinker around with not just the All-Star Game, but the contests leading up to it. Luckily for him, we've got five ideas to revamp the whole weekend. 1. Make at least two current All-Stars participate in each contest on All-Star Saturday This one is mostly aimed at the Slam Dunk Contest, as the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest regularly have multiple All-Stars compete in each event. In recent years, though, the Slam Dunk Contest has been filled with players who can't even crack their respective team's rotations, with the likes of Mac McClung, Jacob Toppin, Kenyon Martin Jr., Cassius Stanley and Hamidou Diallo having participated. This year, Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown was the only contestant who also played in the All-Star Game on that same weekend. Suffice to say, there's just no star power in the Slam Dunk Contest, at least not to the level there was in the 1980s-2000s. Nowadays, the league office would have to incentivize All-Stars to want to take part in the Slam Dunk Contest, but they could get creative. Maybe they could mandate that to play in an All-Star Game, you have to have participated in at least one All-Star Saturday event at some point in your career. Luckily for the NBA, a couple of All-Stars have floated the possibility of performing in next year's event. Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo both shared on social media that they were interested in doing the event after watching McClung three-peat on Saturday. We'll see if they stick to their word or pull a LeBron James. This fix would also allow 3-point and dunk specialists to still participate in the event. McClung's slams to win Saturday's Slam Dunk Contest were certainly exciting. Stephon Castle also had a couple of memorable dunks in the final round. Adding a pair of All-Stars to go up against those two might have added much-needed pizzazz. Of the All-Star Saturday events, none have been fiddled with as much as the Skills Challenge. There's a reason for that: It's not very good. San Antonio Spurs stars Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul proved that this weekend. The two thought they had found a loophole in the competition, quickly tossing balls to the side when they were supposed to shoot them. They were disqualified as a result, creating one of the highlights of the weekend due to their willingness to not even try in the event. The other highlight of this year's Skills Challenge was watching Green stumble his way through the course in the final round. Beyond Green's struggles, the course seems relatively easy for NBA players, considering all they have to do is dribble, pass, and make a few jump shots and a layup. So, let's get rid of the Skills Challenge and bring back a contest that honors the history of the game and shines a light on the WNBA: the Shooting Stars Competition. If you need a refresher, the event featured an NBA All-Star, an NBA icon and a current WNBA player from the same city or state teaming up to go head-to-head with another trio, all while making shots from around the court. The final shot was from half court, showcasing more difficulty than the Skills Challenge. This year, we could've seen Karl-Anthony Towns, Carmelo Anthony and Sabrina Ionescu represent New York, or Pascal Siakam and Caitlin Clark partner up with Reggie Miller to represent Indiana. The possibilities for this are endless. 3. Make the 3-Point Contest an eight-player tournament, but with a twist The 3-Point Contest has been the most reliable event of All-Star Weekend over the years, with several All-Stars competing for the crown and providing a handful of exciting moments. But like everything else during All-Star Weekend, it can get better. In order to provide a little extra drama, the NBA should change it to an eight-player tournament, but with participants who are shooting at the same time. They wouldn't be shooting at the same basket, though; rather, each would occupy one side of the court. This would remove the target score element of the 3-Point Contest, in which players typically know how many points they need in order to advance. Instead, they'd be trying to get as many 3-pointers up as they can and wouldn't know if they were safe or not until the end. Another 3-Point Contest-related idea for the NBA: Get rid of the balls that are worth more points. The winner shouldn't be determined based off a player shooting worse from their moneyball rack than their opponent. 4. Have the winner of the 3-Point Contest take on the winner of the previous year's WNBA 3-Point Contest In this scenario, whoever wins the 3-Point Contest wouldn't stop there. They'd have to go for one more round of 3-point shooting, going head-to-head with the winner of the previous year's WNBA 3-Point Contest in a "battle of the sexes" competition. This idea was inspired by the memorable Steph Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu 3-point duel at All-Star Saturday in 2024, when the WNBA star nearly took down the NBA's all-time 3-point king. That event was arguably the best All-Star-related highlight of the last few years. After this year's 3-Point Contest, Tyler Herro would've had to take on Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray, who won the WNBA 3-Point Contest in 2024. That might not have the name recognition that Curry-Ionescu had, but it still would've added more fun to the evening while also providing another chance for the WNBA to showcase itself. 5. Change the All-Star Game format to USA vs. the World As you've likely noticed, there haven't been any suggestions yet on how we'd tweak the actual All-Star Game. But there aren't many organic ways to change the All-Star Game that the NBA hasn't tried yet. It's done the All-Star draft. It's tried the Elam Ending. This year, it had a four-team tournament, with the winning team from the Rising Stars Challenge making up a quarter of the players in the All-Star Game. There is one idea, though, that could encourage players to put up a little more effort: having the United States' best basketball players take on the rest of the world's best. In recent years, we've seen the United States struggle to hold on to its basketball dominance in international events, finishing fourth in the 2023 FIBA Tournament before needing dramatic wins to take home gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics. If hockey's Four Nations Faceoff is any indication, this would also provide some country pride. The NHL-created event saw the United States and Canada get in three fights in the first nine seconds of their game on Saturday as that tournament replaced the NHL's All-Star Game. The only concern here is if you'd have enough international players to participate in the event without costing a handful of notable American players All-Star spots. There were nine foreign-born players in this year's All-Star Game, though one of them was Kyrie Irving, who has played for the United States in international tournaments in the past. Luka Doncic likely would've been an All-Star if he had appeared in enough games and Domantas Sabonis certainly had a strong case to be named an All-Star this year, which would've helped the international team. But it still would've needed to fill out two spots on the roster. Maybe a couple of American All-Stars could volunteer to play for the international team? Even though there's a hoop to jump through with this one, it seems like the only idea left that would bring more of a competitive spirit to the All-Star Game. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
New York Times
16-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mac McClung proves the NBA Slam Dunk Contest doesn't need stars, just passionate showmen
SAN FRANCISCO — The NBA Slam Dunk Contest contest needs to be saved. It needs the game's stars to participate. How many times have you heard or read that? Saturday night showed it's not about the stars. It's about having players who care about the contest. Mac McClung is not a star. He's played in five NBA games, and most of his work has been in the G League. But the 6-foot-2 guard is passionate about the dunk contest, and that showed once again after he won his third straight competition Saturday. McClung is the first to win three straight and joins Nate Robinson as the only three-time winner. GO DEEPER Mac McClung flashes perfect score to win third straight NBA dunk contest McClung admitted going into Saturday 'thinking about hanging it up' after this weekend, 'but I never want to say never.' If McClung is done, what becomes of the contest? It's not about finding a star to enter the contest. It's about finding players with a passion for showmanship and dunking to keep the excitement. Advertisement The Chase Center crowd was with McClung, the reigning G League MVP for the Osceola Magic. And if someone else steps up with impressive dunks, they will woo the crowd, too. 'When you feel like the crowd has your back, that gives you a different level of adrenaline, maybe confidence,' McClung said. 'It was great, it felt really good. And the judges gave me some good scores, so that got me feeling good. I really do like to play off the crowd.' McClung is not a household name during the NBA regular season, but All-Star Saturday belonged to him — and has belonged to him since 2023. The crowd was behind him and NBA All-Stars watched his every move as he racked up perfect scores of 50 for each of his four dunks to further cement his dunking legacy. McClung won as the NBA celebrated Vince Carter's epic performance in the contest 25 years ago for All-Star Saturday Night in Oakland, Calif. Carter is considered one of the best dunkers of all time, his legacy cemented in 2000 and also with plenty of highlight-worthy, in-game dunks throughout his 22-year NBA career. GO DEEPER 'I wanted to go out there and give you a show': Vince Carter's 2000 NBA dunk contest masterpiece 'I genuinely love this contest, and I love to dunk,' McClung said. 'I'm not really comparing myself to anybody or trying to put a value on my name, so we'll just let the world and the people that love dunking judge that.' McClung might not be back next year. So what happens with the contest? Will fans and media clamor for stars like Ja Morant to step up? Morant posted on X during the contest that McClung's dunks might urge him to one day participate. Minutes later, Giannis Antetokounmpo said he'd join Morant in the competition if Morant followed through. If you do it. I'll do it with you 💯 — Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) February 16, 2025 But it doesn't have to be Morant, Antetokounmpo or any other star player to participate to bring additional excitement to the game. It just has to be players who are passionate about the art of dunking and performing on a grand stage. Big names don't lead to big results if the participants aren't dedicated. McClung has shown himself committed. He captured the fans' attention with each dunk. That he's not a star shouldn't be a factor. Advertisement McClung said preparing for this contest wasn't easy. He had to practice jumping over a car, which can be taxing and dangerous. He knew he had to take his creativity to another level to pull off the win. 'This one took a lot out of me for sure,' McClung said. 'I prepared very early and put a lot of work into it.' McClung's success is a reminder that you don't have to be a star to enter the contest. But you can become one. Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine weren't superstars when they dueled in 2016. But the contest gave them visibility. If San Antonio's Stephon Castle returns to the contest next season, he could be a worthy foe for McClung after this year's narrow loss. 'I think the contest is a beautiful thing,' McClung said. 'I know people probably want bigger stars in it, and I would love to see that, but I think it's important for the people in it to want to do it. I think Steph (Castle), Matas (Buzelis), Andre (Jackson Jr.), they all really wanted to be here. … It's a special thing that I think should be really appreciated.'
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ja Morant, Giannis Antetokounmpo float return to superstar dunk contests, inspired by Mac McClung
Are the stars returning to the dunk contest? Ja Morant sounds ready. As does Giannis Antetokounmpo. Morant, inspired by G-Leaguer Mac McClung's sensational perfect run to a three-peat in Saturday's dunk contest, suggested that he was ready to throw his hat into the dunk contest ring. Morant made his proclamation on social media, just minutes after McClung defeated Stephon Castle in the final of Saturday's dunk contest at the NBA's All-Star Saturday night in San Francisco. mac might make me decide to dunk — Ja Morant (@JaMorant) February 16, 2025 Morant then sent out feelers to fellow top dunkers Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon. zach & AG wassup 👀 — Ja Morant (@JaMorant) February 16, 2025 LaVine and Gordon didn't immediately reply. But Giannis Antetokounmpo saw Morant's tweet and says that he's in. As long as Morant's actually in. If you do it. I'll do it with you 💯 — Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) February 16, 2025 Which, whoa. Sign us up. McClung's sensational efforts notwithstanding, the dunk contest has largely been a dud for years. This is due in large part to a lack of star power. See Saturday's contest that featured G-Leaguer McClung, Bucks role player Andre Jackson Jr. and rookies Stephon Castle and Matas Buzelis. They're nice players, but these aren't the first names to come to mind for the marquee of All-Star Saturday's headliner. This is a contest that once featured Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and Julius Irving — in the same contest. Jordan and Wilkins were regular participants and faced off twice. Kobe Bryant won it in 1997. Vince Carter won it in 2000 in what's considered by many the greatest performance in dunk contest history. But with a few exceptions, star power has fizzled since the turn of the century. Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin and Donovan Mitchell have all won it since. And LaVine and Gordon put on a dunk contest for the ages in 2016. But names like these are the exception since the turn of the century. LeBron James never saw fit to lend his talents to All-Star Saturday. And the star power's dwindled to a flicker since 2019 in contests that have featured Hamidou Diallo, Derrick Jones Jr, Anfernee Simons, Obi Toppin and McClung (3 times) as winners. All-NBA players like Morant and Antetokounmpo would signal a throwback to the days of the superstar dunk contests featuring sensational dunkers. Especially if, say, Anthony Edwards joins them. Add in McClung in a quest for a four-peat in a G-Leaguer vs. NBA superstars showcase, and the NBA would have appointment viewing next All-Star Saturday. Let's just hope that Morant and Antetokounmpo aren't teasing us.
Fox Sports
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Ja Morant teases dunk contest debut in 2026, challenges Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon
Mac McClung's three-peat as the Slam Dunk Contest champion has inspired at least one other star to potentially perform in the event. Ja Morant signaled some interest in potentially performing in the 2026 Slam Dunk Contest in a pair of social media posts on Saturday. "mac might make me decide to dunk," Morant wrote in one post. The Grizzlies guard also recruited a pair of heroes of Slam Dunk Contests past to potentially join him. "zach & AG wassup," Morant wrote in a follow-up post with an eyes emoji. That post, presumably, was meant for Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine and Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon. LaVine, a two-time winner, and Gordon have been viewed as two of the best performers in the history of the event. LaVine took down Gordon in the final round of the event in 2016, earning a perfect score on all four of his dunks while Gordon received a perfect score on three of his attempts as the round needed a dunk off. LaVine hasn't performed in the event since his victory in 2016. Gordon, meanwhile, performed in the event two more times, controversially losing in 2020. In that loss, Gordon posted a perfect score on five of his dunks, losing again in a tie-breaker. With the numerous perfect dunks he's put up over the years, Gordon solely held the record for the most dunks with a perfect score in Slam Dunk Contest history until Saturday night. McClung put up four perfect dunks to win Saturday's event, including a dunk over a car, matching Gordon's record for the most dunks with a perfect score in the history of the Slam Dunk Contest. While LaVine, Gordon and McClung have brought exciting dunks to the Slam Dunk Contest, arguably no player has had more exciting in-game dunks in recent memory than Morant. The 6-foot-2 guard has made a habit of posterizing players taller than him by several inches, giving him several highlight-reel dunks over his first season in the league. Because of that, Morant has been viewed as a dream participant in the Slam Dunk Contest by many fans and media members over the years. But he's been steadfast in his rejection of participating in the event, telling Bleacher Report in 2021 that he would only do it if he was paid $1 million. Now, Morant at least seems open to the possibility of performing in the event. He would bring some much-needed star power to the event as well. Jaylen Brown is the only player to participate in the event in the same year he was named an All-Star over the last seven seasons. He finished as a runner-up in the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest. Of course, a lot of things can change between Saturday and All-Star Saturday in Los Angeles in 2026. LeBron James memorably committed to participate in the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest while watching Dwight Howard win the 2010 event. But the all-time great has never performed in the Slam Dunk Contest. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Adam Silver addresses Doncic-Davis deal: 'Time will tell whether it was a smart trade'
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has a message to those Dallas Mavericks fans who are still angry, two weeks later: He feels your pain. That said, he's also sure that the Mavericks believe that their decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis was — in their minds, at least — the best possible move for the franchise. Silver, in his annual address at All-Star weekend on Saturday, said he had no advance word that the trade was looming and that he was surprised like everyone else. He also said he wasn't going to second-guess Dallas' decision. "I can say one thing for sure: Whether or not history will ultimately judge this as a smart trade, they did what they thought was in the best interest of their organization," Silver said. "I have absolutely no knowledge or belief there were any ulterior motives, no doubt in my mind that the Dumont-Adelson families bought that team to keep it in Dallas. I have no doubt whatsoever that they're committed to the long-term success of that franchise." The Doncic-for-Davis trade sent shock waves across the NBA. It was the first mid-season trade where All-NBA players were swapped for one another, and the angry fallout from fans in Dallas over trading a 25-year-old superstar and global icon hasn't exactly subsided. "I'm empathetic," Silver said. "I understand it." San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama also understands how some Mavericks fans feel, even though he plays for the in-state rival Spurs. "What really strikes me is how the Mavs' fans are hurting, how they feel," Wembanyama said Saturday. "It's really something that I think was a really strong emotion. But otherwise, I think the Mavs are still contenders. The Lakers are contenders. It's very competitive. They traded for very good players. ... But two weeks after, it's still the craziest trade I've ever seen." Further adding to the disappointment or frustration for some Dallas fans is the fact that Davis got hurt in his debut game with the Mavericks, one of many big-man injuries the team is currently grappling with. "Time will tell whether it was a smart trade," Silver said. "But they should believe in their organization." Related Stories: The top 10 all-time biggest NBA trade deadline moves 2025 NBA trade g rades and transaction tracker Best social media reactions to the Luka Dončić-AD trade What the Lakers trading for Luka Dončić means for LeBron James LeBron James responds to reports of rift with Anthony Davis: 'You a fkn lie' In other topics covered by Silver on Saturday: Details on why Steph vs. Sabrina II didn't happen All-Star Saturday last year was highlighted by the 3-point contest between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu. Everyone left that night indicating that it would come back in 2025. But it didn't happen — and Silver said the reason is simply that it might have been too good to do twice. "Last year was so magical, that competition, that it started to feel forced. And I think there was concern from all of us that we just weren't feeling it," Silver said. Timberwolves' sale to A-Rod, Lore A few days after an arbitration panel ruled that ownership transfer of the Minnesota Timberwolves to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez — who would get the majority stake for $1.5 billion — must continue as originally planned, Silver said the league is waiting to see what happens next. "My expectation is that will move forward. But first, Glen Taylor does have a decision to make as to whether to appeal that arbitration decision," Silver said. "I mean, that's Glen's decision to make. I haven't talked to him directly about that. I think, though, that A-Rod, certainly Marc Lore, are well-known to the league at this point. They've already been vetted and approved as minority owners. I think they understood that the league had no role in this arbitration. That was something they had agreed to as part of their purchase agreement." Silver said he sees no reason why the sale wouldn't be approved, but stopped short of speaking for the Board of Governors and the decision they would have to make to get the sale across the finish line. Rescinded Hornets-Lakers trade A week after a trade between Charlotte and the Lakers fell through because of the results of Hornets center Mark Williams' physical, Silver said the Hornets have not filed a formal appeal with the league. The Lakers rescinded the trade. "Let's see what Charlotte decides to do here," Silver said. "But I think either way, it's gotten our attention. We understand that in the back and forth of teams and trades that the extent we can reduce uncertainty, that's a positive thing." TV ratings The NBA hasn't hidden from the fact that their television ratings aren't where the league wants them to be, but Silver sees progress. "I'll begin with the state of our ratings right now as they're conventionally measured," Silver said. "They're slightly down from last season. We had some weakness early in the season. We rebounded. The ratings are heading up right now. So, I see that as very positive." The NBA also doesn't solely look at ratings. The league's footprint on social media is growing and is at "record popularity," Silver said, and he said that the TV numbers don't show the interest from podcasts and other forms of new media. "Now, how do you blend all those things together? I think that's the really tough question," Silver said. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? 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