NBA v. NHL: The Dichotomy of the All Star Games
Abdimalik Mohamed, sports editor
This year, the difference in tone and tenor of the NBA All Star Game was incredibly different than the NHL All Star Game (4 Nations Face Off). The 4 Nations Face Off that the NHL does features the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland. First off, dissatisfaction with the NBA All Star Games among fans has been a recurring theme for the past couple of years. Though, this past Sunday, Feb. 16, was a new low for the NBA.
It all started on Feb. 15 with the Saturday night activities. The Skills Competition and the Three Point Contest were lifeless. The Dunk Contest was the only one that brought out some energy because the players were trying out new and different dunks which was admirable. Mac McClung, who was in the back-to-back dunk contest, came ready and prepared to win. The contest ended ok because McClung performed his signature move — dunking over a car — which was a tribute to Blake Griffin.
The following night was the All Star Game which was a massive disappointment. On the offset, neither Anthony Edwards nor LeBron James played in the game. James in particular showed up to the arena on the day of the game and announced that he wasn’t playing. He told ESPN, “With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I felt like it was very important for me to kind of take care of myself and understand what’s coming on [down the road].”
As for the game itself, it ended up being a dud to watch. Kevin Hart was telling jokes in the middle of the game, there were a million stoppages and there was a Mr. Beast shooting contest that felt like nothing more than an annoyance than something that was cool. The game was a really bad look for the NBA. Compare that to the NHL 4 Nations Face Off which was incredibly intense and very enjoyable to watch. The USA-Canada game in particular was phenomenal because of the geopolitical tentacles that were all over the game as it pertains to President Trump and the trade war going on with Canada. The U.S. national anthem was booed which really set the tone for the game.
As for the game itself, it ended up being a dud to watch. Kevin Hart was telling jokes in the middle of the game, there were a million stoppages and there was a Mr. Beast shooting contest that felt like nothing more than an annoyance than something that was cool. The game was a really bad look for the NBA.
abdimalik mohamed
When the puck dropped, American Matthew Tkachuk and Canadian Brandon Hagel started to fight nine seconds into the game. Hagel said to CBS Sports, “… Listen, what happened the other night, I did it for the flag and not for the cameras.” It was exciting to watch as the U.S. beat Canada to advance in the tournament, and the energy and care for the game was palpable and meaningful.
Maybe it was the fact that they were representing their country, but the difference between the two events was stark. One can only hope that the NBA fixes their game for next year — maybe they can learn a thing or two from the NHL.