Are further changes coming to the NBA All-Star Game?
By Mark Carman
The new Elam Ending was a smash hit at the 2020 NBA All-Star game, but there were concerns raised by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban that will need to be addressed.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban enjoyed the NBA All-Star game like the rest of the fans who were on there feet at the United Center for the riveting finish. Even with the anti-climatic free throw ending, fans left the arena wanting more. This was the most exciting All-Star game since…? Maybe ever.
“I gotta tell you, it was really really fun to watch the best players in the world, playing as hard as they can,” Cuban said. “Just seeing the athleticism and the guys go at each other, the commitment, it was special.”
Cuban perhaps enjoyed the ending more considering his best player and marquee attraction, Luka Doncic, was on the bench comfortably watching the action. Raptors Head Coach Nick Nurse might not have felt the same way, seeing his star point guard Kyle Lowry take three charges in the final quarter.
Cuban volunteered that changes may need to be made going forward to keep players healthy.
“Little bit nervous? Yeah. On one hand I’m thinking this is great, on the other hand I’m thinking oh my goodness, because they got to the point at the end where everybody was missing shots, and it came down to calls, and guys were trying to take charges,” Cuban said. “Which is good in one sense, but on the other side, they might have played 25-30 minutes, could have gone to 40 minutes and they weren’t subbing no matter what. So, we’ll see. I’m sure there are tweaks we can make to make it better.”
The NBA is in a bind. Yes, you want a competitive game that fans want to watch. No, you don’t want players getting hurt in a game that is meaningless. The league could limit the amount of minutes players can play in the last quarter. That however, would not ensure players do not get hurt playing to win. Ultimately, it will be up to the players to decide how hard they want to go.