Anthony Edwards admits players don’t contest All-Star Game: ‘Nobody wants to come and compete’

Remember the times when the All-Star Game used to be competitive and would end up being one of the most exciting games of the year? Those were the good old days. However, in the past decade it seems as if those memorable exhibitions are now long gone, and modern stars are in no hurry of changing this around. 

This past weekend, Anthony Edwards was selected to compete in his second-ever All-Star contest, and once the match was over on Sunday, he opened up about why players don’t want to give it their all on the basketball court.

In a way, the Minnesota forward said what we all already know, but don’t want to accept it as we are in denial. “For me, it’s an All-Star Game, so I don’t think I will ever look at it like being super competitive. It’s always fun. I don’t know what they can do to make it more competitive,” he said. “It’s a break. I don’t think nobody wants to come here and compete.”

Anthony Edwards on the All-Star game:

"It’s a break. I don’t think nobody wants to come here and compete."

(via @sam_amick) pic.twitter.com/0de9FfeFeH

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 19, 2024

The All-Star Game is probably the best opportunity for fans to witness all of the NBA’s top talents play against each other at once. Even though we can always stand out many highlights from it, the exhibition definitely lacks defense. It seems that the players are too concerned about getting hurt, so they put in little effort on that end of the floor.

The Wolves star ended up only participating in 12 minutes off the bench and finished the match with 4 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. The East produced a record-winning 211-186 display by the end of the match.

The young athlete later added to the “unseriousness” surrounding the All-Star Weekend and told the press he only planned on shooting exclusively with his left hand. “I’m going to shoot it with my left hand the whole game. I’m going to shoot it with my left hand the entire game … It’s an All-Star Game. Ain’t no field goal percentage,” he said.

The 22-year-old, who is right-handed, proceeded to do so during the Skills contest and made a mockery of himself, as he wasn’t able to drop in a single shot from beyond the arc.

Legend Larry Bird implored All-Star players to compete during Sunday’s East vs. West matchup

It seemed like no one listened to Hall of Famer Larry Bird before the All-Star contest on Sunday, as the Boston icon took his time to explain in an interview why it was important for modern superstars to compete to their best during the league’s showcase events.

The legend’s request was a simple one, as he was invited to participate in the NBA’s activities in Indianapolis. “The one thing I would really like to see is they play hard tonight in this All-Star Game,” Bird shared. “I think it’s very important when you have the best players in the world together, you’ve gotta compete, and you’ve gotta play hard, and you’ve gotta show the fans how good they really are.”

The former basketball athlete also addressed LeBron James, as he urged fans to appreciate him while they still can because he considers him to be “one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ever.”

“I tell people quit whining about LeBron. Enjoy him while he’s here. He’s unbelievable,” Larry expressed in an interview with NBA TV.