NBA legends have pushed back against Draymond Green’s critique of the new All-Star Game format and the current state of the league. This year, the NBA replaced the traditional East vs. West format with a mini tournament featuring four teams selected by Shaquille O’Neal, Candace Parker, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith. Stephen Curry led Shaq’s team to victory and earned the All-Star Game MVP award.
When asked to rate the new format on a scale of 1-10, Green gave it a “zero,” expressing his disappointment. He stated, “You work all year to be an All-Star, and you get to play up to 40 minutes, and then you’re done. This is so unfair to Victor Wembanyama, who took this game really seriously, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who also took it seriously. When you think about chasing points records, legends like Melo and Kobe had great scoring nights, but they don’t get that chance with this format.” He criticized the event for showcasing rising stars instead of established players, calling it “ridiculous” and stating, “this sucks” and “it ain’t basketball.”
Barkley and fellow Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson responded to Green’s comments. Barkley emphasized that the responsibility for the All-Star Game’s diminished significance lies with Green’s generation of players. “I’m going to disagree with Draymond a lot. It’s like when kids mess up the house; you make them clean it up while they complain. His generation messed the game up,” he said, defending the league’s efforts to innovate the All-Star Game.
Robertson also dismissed Green’s remarks, stating, “Who cares what Draymond says? It doesn’t mean anything. The game is what it is. People either like it or they don’t, and I think fans enjoy it, especially if their team wins.” He added that the current style of play might seem boring to Green, particularly if he isn’t facilitating plays for Curry.
