NBA greats pushed back on Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green’s assessment of the All-Star Game’s newest format and the state of the league.
Instead of an East vs. West format this year, the NBA changed the format for the game to a mini tournament between four different teams picked by Shaquille O’Neal, Candace Parker, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. Stephen Curry led Shaq’s team to a win, and he picked up the All-Star Game MVP award.
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Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie, #00, and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, #23, in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Feb. 12, 2025. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
Green was asked to rate the format on a scale of 1-10. He said it was a “zero.”
“You work all year to be an All-Star and you get to play up to 40, and then you’re done. This is so unfair to Victor Wembanyama, who just took this game really seriously,” he said, via the New York Post. “Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who just took this game really seriously. When you talk about chasing after the points record, Melo, Kobe and all these guys that had great scoring nights. They don’t get the opportunity to do that with this game.
“All so we can watch some rising stars. We about to watch the Olympic team, now we get the treat of watching the Olympic team play against a U-19 team. Come on, what are we doing? This is ridiculous.”
He also said, “this sucks” and “it ain’t basketball.”
Barkley and fellow Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson took Green’s remarks to task.
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Barkley put the onus on Green and his generation of basketball stars for the lack of importance of the All-Star Game.
“I’m going to disagree with Draymond a lot. I use the analogy like when the kids mess up the house, you make them clean it up and they’re complaining. They messed the game up. … His generation messed the game up.
From left to right, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley stand at mid-court to be honored during the NBA All-Star basketball game on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
“So don’t act like he’s mad because they’re trying to use rookies … We’re doing every type of trick to make this game exciting.”
Green also ruffled the feathers of Oscar Robertson during the weekend.
The NBA champion said games right now are “boring” with “no substance.” The advent of increased 3-point shooting has been to blame. NBA ratings have also suffered because of game play during the regular season.
“Every possession is some type of chess move. You don’t get that today in the NBA often. … You don’t just get that on a regular basis. It’s just who can run faster, who can hit more threes. It’s no substance. I think it’s very boring,” he said.
Robertson had no time for Green’s remarks.
“Who cares what Draymond says? It doesn’t mean anything,” Robertson said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “This is what I mean, one guy can say this, another guy can say that. The game is what it is. Either people like the game or they don’t, and I think people enjoy the game, especially if their team can win.
Oscar Robertson talks with filmmaker Spike Lee before the All Star-HBCU game at Oakland Arena in Oakland, California, on Feb. 15, 2025. (Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)
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“And if you look at the basketball, it might be boring to him because if he’s not passing the ball to Curry, what is he doing? I mean, not to single that out because I think he knows how to play basketball, but he’s passing to Curry more than anyone I’ve ever seen in basketball. So it might be boring to him at times cause maybe to him at times because he’s not shooting a lot, he’s not guarding a lot, so it gets boring.”
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