Shoutout To The Fan Who Came Down From The Crowd And Hit A Logo Three At The Buzzer To Take Down Damian Lillard And Win $100K

Nathaniel S. Butler. Getty Images.

With all eyes on the new NBA All Star Game format, I'd say through the first game it felt no different than any other All Star Game to me. It's not as if we were watching Game 7 of the NBA Finals level intensity, there were plenty of instances of guys going through the motions and then a few moments of Wemby doing Wemby stuff and SGA doing SGA stuff and it was about as entertaining as you would expect in a game like this. You don't really get the sense that this tournament style approach has made any real difference into how much the players care. Oh well. It's still cool to see NBA All Star players do cool shit on a basketball court, and once it gets later in the event they'll try for real just like they always do.

The more confusing part of the evening is why the NBA has decided to have Kevin Hart repeatedly get on the mic and just berate the players and talk about how much the game sucks. I get he's partly doing a bit, but also it's been a little much. Seems like the opposite thing you'd want on a night you're supposed to be showcasing your league.

We always had an extremely awkward Mr. Beast contest between a fan from the crowd against Dame, each taking logo 3s for a $100K prize. Dame had to make 3 before the fan made one, and boy did things get awkward quickly. The whole presentation felt forced, delayed, awkward and kind of sucked all the energy out of whatever momentum the opening game had.

I will admit it was somewhat electric that the kid made the shot at the buzzer

But knowing how these things usually go, the second he got back to the tunnel they probably told him since his shot came after the buzzer he doesn't get the money. Not only that, I'm not sure I would love to be sitting in a tank of dirty ass money. That feels a little gross. Electric moment and will be cool if he actually gets the money, because even after taxes that's still a life changing amount of money, so good for Jaren. It's not his fault Adam Silver is convinced shit like this is what the NBA needs to do to save the All Star Game, so you may as well cash in.

Maybe this is just me turning into an old, but I'm of the belief that the key to fixing the All Star Game is simply playing basketball. I don't need Kevin Hart on the mic trying to do comedy. I don't need a fancy format. I don't need Mr. Beast contests at intermission. All I need is just 4 quarters with the best players on the planet playing basketball. Make the game about the game, how hard can that be? 

Between this and Draymond Green losing his shit in the studio about how much the new format sucks and how awful and disrespectful it is to current players, Adam Silver has to be thrilled with how things are going.