Former AL MVP Josh Donaldson of the Minnesota Twins has criticized the NBA All-Star Game for lacking any form of defense.
The NBA held its 71st All-Star Game in Cleveland on Sunday as part of the league’s 75th anniversary celebrations. Team LeBron James came away with a 163-160 win over Team Kevin Durant. Steph Curry went on to win the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP trophy.
However, Donaldson called the NBA All-Star game embarrassing and suggested that the NBA and NFL should stop playing such games. He also said that the MLB and NHL All-Star Games are more competitive.
“Baseball is the only legitimate All-Star game in the sport. You can’t go easy when a guy rolls a 100. All other sports except hockey shouldn’t have them anymore. It’s actually embarrassing to watch,” said Donaldson .
It is true that no defense was played in the NBA All-Star game until the last quarter. The stars turned it on as they tried to reach their target score of 163 points. The first three quarters had no defense at all, but it was very entertaining, with Steph Curry’s firing and Ja Morant’s high-flying dunks.
Meanwhile, the NFL Pro-Bowl game was criticized for its lack of tackles earlier this month, while the NHL All-Star game took a ratings hit. As for the MLB All-Star game, the winning league no longer gets home field advantage for the World Series since 2016.
Donaldson is entitled to his opinion, but there are always two sides to an All-Star game. It’s an exhibition game between the best of the best that has to mean something.
It is also a showcase for fans who want to be entertained. At the end of the day, the NBA All-Star game has also raised a lot of money for various charities, which is quite heartwarming.
Steph Curry steals show in NBA All-Star Game 2022
It was a homecoming for LeBron James when he returned to Cleveland, but it was Steph Curry who stole the show. Curry scored 50 points and hit 16 three-point shots to break Paul George’s record of nine. He hit threes from far into the center at the logo.
Curry was in the zone when he turned in two of his shots before it hit the bottom of the net. The two-time MVP did it in front of a Cleveland crowd that wooed him at the start. Many legends were also in attendance as the league celebrated the 76 greatest players in NBA history.
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Curry went on to win the first-ever Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP Award. Meanwhile, LeBron James hit the game-winning fadeaway to give his team a 163-160 win over Team Durant. It should be noted that both James and Curry were born in Akron, just 45 minutes from Cleveland.
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