Brian Windhorst views the NBA All-Star Weekend as a sort of convention, yet he has lost all interest in the event itself. “I could let it all go. I avoid it like the plague,” Windhorst shared with Sports Business Journal’s Austin Carp on The Sports Media Podcast. He acknowledges its significance for NBA business and the marketing activities involving players but admits, “As a fan, I have no interest in the All-Star Weekend. I’m sorry to say that. I shouldn’t be saying it because I’ll definitely get blowback.”
Windhorst’s disinterest seems to stem from the All-Star Game itself, which has seen various format changes in recent years to enhance its appeal as a television spectacle. This year introduced a new four-team, three-game tournament format featuring NBA All-Stars alongside a squad of Rising Stars, yet Windhorst remains unimpressed. “They’re really reaching,” remarked the Akron, Ohio native, expressing confusion over the announcement that comedian Kevin Hart will serve as an on-court emcee. “All-Star Weekend, particularly the All-Star Game, has long been style over substance. It’s lost me as a viewer, in all honesty. And I’m not excited about this.”
While Karp proposed a USA vs. the World competition—potentially similar to the NHL’s new format—Windhorst feels the event is a lost cause as long as players show little care for the game, which he identifies as the crux of the exhibition’s problems. “The real problem is that the players aren’t invested in the game,” he explained. “They’re trying everything to get the players invested in the game… it’s not for a lack of trying… the format doesn’t matter if the players aren’t invested in the outcome.”
Nevertheless, Windhorst plans to approach this weekend’s All-Star festivities in San Francisco with an open mind, although the two least-watched All-Star Games in history have certainly justified any skepticism he might hold.
