The NBA attempted to make Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal the stars of All-Star Weekend, but Jaylen Brown appeared uninterested in the attention. Commissioner Adam Silver named Barkley, Shaq, and Smith general managers for this season’s All-Star Game, which featured a new tournament-style format. The event culminated with Kevin Hart eulogizing Inside the NBA during a break in the 2025 All-Star Game action.
With the All-Star Game moving to NBC next season, Hart gathered Barkley, Smith, Shaq, and Ernie Johnson at center court for gifts, including fishing gear, jokingly declaring it was “over.” This was a nod to the crew’s beloved “gone fishing” segment that humorously addresses teams eliminated from the playoffs. During this segment, a camera captured Brown waving his hand and saying, “get ‘em outta here.” While the Inside the NBA crew enjoys popularity among fans, their critiques of the modern league seem to lessen their appeal among current players. It’s unclear if Brown’s remarks referenced wanting them out of the league or off the court due to the length of the ceremony, but he later expressed his discontent with the presentation.
Jaylen Brown for MVP pic.twitter.com/q0Gi19fNep
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 17, 2025
“I didn’t. I don’t know if the rest of the other guys knew. I didn’t know,” said Brown when asked about the tribute to Inside the NBA. “So that kind of took the gas out of everything for a little bit. We’re trying to be great professionals and we’re trying to do different things and explore, generate viewership,” he added.
Jaylen Brown also didn’t know about the stoppage and said it “took the gas” out of the game. pic.twitter.com/eaTvjzLUZp
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) February 17, 2025
One strategy the NBA employed to boost viewership was to shift the focus of the All-Star Game away from the players and the game itself, opting instead for scripted segments, like the tribute to Inside the NBA, which seemed unnecessary. Brown voiced a valid concern as the All-Star Game lacked hype this season, and interrupting it for a eulogy did little to stoke excitement.
In the past year, there were months when fans speculated about the future of Inside the NBA after Warner Bros. Discovery lost TNT Sports game rights. However, thanks to a licensing agreement with ESPN, the popular studio show will continue into the next season and beyond, rendering Sunday night’s tribute even more awkward and unwarranted.
