NBA All-Star Game 2012: Fans Deserve Better from All-Star Weekend

Are you ready to see household names like Ryan Anderson, Mario Chalmers and Anthony Morrow compete in the All-Star shootout?

Or high-flyers Paul George, Chase Budinger and Iman Shumpert Jeremy Evans throw it down for the Slam Dunk Contest? 

I’m not. 

The NBA All-Star weekend is a moment of respite in an otherwise grueling season. More importantly, the weekend is a chance for the NBA to celebrate its loyal fans by pitting the game’s best against each other.

Just weeks after one of the most-watched NBA Finals in recent history, the NBA locked its fans out.

Wealthy players and wealthier owners battled over how to best divvy up billions of dollars in revenue. The rest of America waited for the two parties to reconcile, eager to forget their own growing financial insecurity in the excitement of an NBA season.

Aside from the All-Star Game and Rising Stars Challenge, the weekend is seriously lacking entertainment value. The NBA as a whole, from David Stern all the way down to the 15^th man on every roster, should feel ashamed for putting on such a disappointing display.

The fans did not wait out the NBA lockout to see the likes of Chase Budinger and Derrick Williams face off in the Slam Dunk Contest. Michael Jordan—Michael greatest-of-all-time Jordan—competed not once but twice just to give back to the fans. In comparison, the modern era’s All-Star weekend is on life support.

One way to revive interest in the All-Star weekend and to really reward fans is to host a new competition: the one-on-one playground challenge. Players will compete in a one-on-one competition, just like thousands have done before in playgrounds across the globe.

First player to 11 points wins. Every bucket counts for one point only. Players call their own fouls. The player that scores retains possession.

There is nothing I’d want to see more than for marquee players to settle the ultimate debate of who is better.

Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James.

Dwight Howard vs. Andrew Bynum.

Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams.

Heck, throw in Jeremy Lin vs. Kyrie Irving.

Now that’s an exciting exhibition. Not Kevin Love, a 35 percent three-point shooter. Not Jeremy Evans, a rookie averaging 5.6 minutes across 16 games this season.

After all the turmoil fans faced this offseason, it’s the least the NBA could do.