I got to get to the NBA All Star Weekend in the Bay Area. First were hometown hero Steph Curry captured the second All Star Game MVP to the delight of the fans at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Curry scored twelve points in Team shacks OG's forty one to twenty five victory Sunday in the first of forty finale against Charles Barkley's Global Stars to win the league's new round robin tournament. The two teams had dismissed Candae
Parker and Kenny Smith squads in the semifinals. Some of the players acknowledged the new format led to a more competitive product, but it was met with mixed reviews overall. Case in point, mister Draymond Green. The biggest headlines of All Star Weekend may have been generated by him, who expressed his displeasure with the changes to the All Star Game. When asked to rate the new All Star Game format on a scale of one to ten during TNT's broadcast,
he gave it quote a zero. He questioned the addition of the Rising Stars to the Sunday All Star.
Game festivities and said the new.
Three game format quote sucks end quote. Quote it ate basketball end quote. A couple of things before I get into this. Number one, Draymond Green, Jalen Rose, and Vince Carter were outstanding, absolutely outstanding, no doubt about it. They did their thing yesterday. They did what pregame shows are supposed to do. And in the case of Draymond Green, can't say enough he stole the show with some of
his comments. This was one of them. Now, I went on Twitter and I said, for the record, I agree with him.
It's All Star Weekend. You mean Rocky All Stars.
They're not supposed to be a part of basketball on Sunday evening for the All Stars. So I think that Draymond Green was absolutely right and I had no problem with him.
Expressing his displeasure.
Well what NBA All Star Weekend had deteriorated into in terms of its main event, no doubt about it. But does it mean that he was complete in his synopsis and his breakdown of what disgusted him about the encore for All Star Weekend? Because you see, when you point to the game itself and the appearance and the participation of Rocky All Stars, Draymond Green left one thing out.
One thing out. He left out the fact that it was the fault of the players, the legitimate All Stars, who have basically snubbed their nose and given the proverbial middle finger to the league, to sponsors and advertisers, and to the fans because you've shown up each week over the last two to three years minimum, and you have
flat out sucked. You haven't given a damn. When you couple that with the load management issues that had concerned the league, and you considered the games missed and the activity of people missing games and announcing it the last minute that they were going to miss the games and stuff like that during regular season and beyond, it became problematic.
So the dereliction of duty.
Exercise while the players on All Star weekends, specifically the Sunday game, the main event, that stuff is what provoked rookie All Stars being added to it, because we knew that players were gonna get their backup and they didn't want to be the one going out there losing to the rookie All Stars. And you saw that happen, You saw an extra level of and elevated level of effort.
You saw all of that. Why because they didn't want to get bounced out by rookie All Stars who they know were coming for them.
That's exactly why the league did it.
They did it to soak and milk every ounce of effort from All Stars who were supposed to.
Be showing it. To begin with, I will remind y'all that did y'all know All Star activities is a part of their country? Did you know that it's a part of their country?
And for these guys to walk up A prominent agent in the league said to me a few weeks ago. He said, the problem with the All Star weekend is that the players look at the league like a bank instead of looking at them like partners.
You know what is a bank.
It's the place that holds your money and you're allowed to come get whatever they're contractually obligated to give you based on a salary that you receive and nothing more. As opposed to looking at the league as partners who helped you get an eleven year, nearly seventy seven billion dollar deal.
With a league average salary being of over ten million dollars.
Well, god's getting generational wealth. And what we're not seeing here is that you got cats that are making nine figures. Well, over one hundred, well over two hundred million, in some cases over three hundred million dollars.
And literally you got cats.
Going out there signing their contract and playing for their next contract or protecting themselves for their next contract without honoring what the present contract that they signed their name too and what they're obligated to fulfill before they've done anything in regard to that. Let me position myself to acquire generation of wealth. But before you fulfill your obligations to earn the money you just signed off for. Let me tell y'all something right now. NBA All Star Weekends
in the world of trouble. Last night was a step in the right direction because we saw some effort for the first time in a while, which was a good thing. Because I'm here to tell you right now, had they showed up and not given any effort similar to what they did the last two to three years, had they done that last night, I'm here to tell y'all right now, the NBA All Star Weekend was in danger of being canceled. I'm not guessing. I'm telling you what I know. It
was on the verge of being canceled. So please understand that that's what we're talking about here that really really is. So I was pleased with what I saw compared to what I saw for the previous two to three years, but it still wasn't anything to knock my socks off. It really really wasn't. And I didn't blame Draymond Green one second for saying what he said. I'm just saying, you got to put the owners where it belongs, which is on the players who's.
Wet the bed in terms of their effort. By the way, we got two examples last night.
Listen, how you Lebron James, and you're gonna announce right before to the league that you can't participate. You showed up to San Francisco and you can't play. You didn't know that beforehand, so they could have made sure to have somebody like a Norman Power of the Clippers or somebody else that was there to fill your spot. Adam Silver didn't have time to name a replacement because Lebron James let him know at the last minute. Do any of us believe that Lebron James didn't know he was
gonna play. Do any of us believe for one second that he decided at the last minute he was gonna play.
Nobody believes that.
Nobody by I mean spit talking about spending somebody's face telling them is reigning.
Nobody's believing that he could have let.
Him know, but he did it. I got news for you too. Who says anything about Steph Curry, I mean the great Steph Curry, I mean talk about a godlike figure. I mean, to say anything negative about this brother is damn They're sacrilegious because he is, to quit essential ambassador. He is perfection personified as.
A human being.
He's God fearing, he's decent, He's a family man, don't get himself in any trouble, don't talk bad about anybody. Nothing Seth Curry special. But is it just me, fellas ladies talking to myself?
Is it just me?
Am I the only one that had a problem with the fact that the three point shooting contest was taking place right there in San Francisco on his home turf, and he wasn't a participant.
Is it just me? Is it just me? I mean, he's only.
The greatest shooter God ever created. It's a three point shooting contest. I appreciate the fact that Damian Lillard was a two time champion and then he ultimately lost. It probably had something to do with all that damn activity is going on where y'all interrupting their rhythm. He damned it looked like he was taking a nap on a bench before it was his turn to shoot. Maybe if y'all had disrupted this rhythm, he would have been better off. But any event, it came down to Buddy Heel versus
Tyler Hero. Ain't no shame in that both the brothers can shoot. But All Star Weekend is in San Francisco, on the home turf of Steph Curry, and the greatest shooter God has ever created chose that three point shooting event to not participate.
Is it just me?
Is it just me?
Would have been nice to see him. Just wanted to say that.
Let me move on to the next subject, because we got to get to the Dunk contest, where we saw Mac mcclun become the first player to win it three straight years, beating rookie Stephan Castle of the San Antonio Spurs in the final. His first dunk was over a car, and after his performance, NBA stars John Moran and Jannis after the gunpo publicly contemplated participating in the context next season.
John said he may have to enter the fray next year and shout at out former champ Zach Lavigne and Aaron Gordon, and Yanna.
Said he would participate if Moran entered.
The contest, which basically means neither of the Imna gona participate because we know John Moran is just talking.
Now.
This is a brother that has been a skywalker for years, but suddenly you go, I want to participate?
Who you fooling? Don't believe it, ladies and gentlemen, until we see it. I'm so sick of this stuff. I really really am. It really really rakes my nerves.
And by the way, Yannis, you're seven feet I'm not that interested in seeing you in the dunk contest. Honestly speaking, if we really really think about it, do we really care to see a seven footer in the dunk contest? You barely have to come off your tippy toes to dunk. Now, Mack McClung ain't spud Wab, but the brother Special and props to mac McClung because that brother can dunk.
White dudes can jump.
Evidently, remember the movie White Man Can't Jump, where Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson white Man evidently can dunk cause that brother Mack McClung not one, not two, but three times back to back to back champions. Having said that, with all the credit this kid deserves, then we take a moment to pause.
To give it some proper perspective.
Sherry, don't laugh too much, Griff, don't look sad because Mack McClung looks like you and you're looking out for your brother.
Just listen to me.
Can we just be very, very honest and realistic about something here, ladies and gentlemen. Draymond's assertions about All Star Game should also.
Apply to the Slam Dunk contest. Do you know that Mac mclung is in the G League?
Do you know that he has three Slam Dunk championships and it almost matches the number of NBA games he's actually played in his NBA career. Do you know that Mac McClung has played a grand total of five NBA games in his career and he's won three Slam Dunk titles. This is not to throw any shade on him whatsoever. It's to show how disgraceful the players are nobody can
participate in this. Lazier gentlemen, let me stay for the record right now, this is not piling on because Lebron James is the second greatest player in the history of basketball, who I believe is grossly underpaid, is worth more than he's being paid. Is in the ambassador for this league, is a marquee and has spent the vast majority of his career showing up in every way one can imagine, except for one thing, and that is slam dunk contest
of All Star Weekend. Lebron James single handedly ruined this competition.
Ruined it.
Lazier gentlemen, to get Mack McClung out the way, y'all do understand that Mac McClung. Those are prop dunks. That's right, I said it, Griff, don't be offended. Gon'll be afraid enough talking about your brother like that.
It's the truth. It's the truth.
He doesn't even Dominique Wilkins, who didn't have much of a hand, who used to dribble. He doesn't dribble. What he donks, there's always assistance or he's always getting some running start. Did you see Vince Carter in.
Two thousand.
Huh.
Did you see it? I saw it.
Did you see Zach Levie in twenty and fifteen that wasn't even his best? Did you see him in twenty sixteen against Aaron Gordon?
Did you see it? I saw it? Did you see it? I mean, these brothers were sensational.
Did you see Jordan in eighty eight against Dominique Wilkins. Did you see him? See him cuff the ball? You see Doctor j back in the day. You see sput Webb, you see Jason Richardson. Did you see Dawaight Howard versus Nate Robinson. I appreciate so much what Matt McClung did over the last three years to save the dunk contest, but let's stop talking.
About him like he's on those brothers level. It's not true. It's not true.
He's not, but you have to make it seem that way, because at least he had the decency to be fearless enough to participate, which is more than we could say for a whole bunch of brothers legitimately in the NBA, who.
Are stars who want no part of this competition. And it all started with Lebron.
Doctor j participated, David Thompson participated, Dominique Wilkins participated, Michael Jordan participated, Vince Carter participated, Tracy McGrady participated.
Kobe Bryant participated.
All the megastars who played above the Rim participated until Lebron James refused.
He ruined the slam dunk contest.
Which is why if you can have a Matt mcclun coming from the G League, I would strongly advise people to embrace my suggestion.
Remember when I said over the airways before, not just this show, but on.
ESPN, I would personally attach my name to a nationwide contest going throughout the cities of America to find the top ten slam dunkers in the country to come to All Star Weekend. And what I would do is use ten All Stars to sponsor the players that they support that they think would win, where they could be active participants but play the role of cheerleaders and sponsors while
you let them dunk. First prize a million dollars, second prize half a million dollars, Third prize one hundred thousand dollars. We got brothers in the streets starving for a portion of those dollars. At one hundred thousand, let alone five hundred thousand of a million. Could you imagine what they would do to participate in a slam dunk contest on All Star Weekend? It would be the best slam dunk contest maybe ever. That's what we should be thinking about.
That's what we should be thinking about again. Props to Mac McClung. Appreciate his contribution. But let's stop acting like we ain't seen better. We have.
I gave you a plethora of examples.
And boy of zach Lavine gets back in it next year, and Aaron Gordon gets back and I think it's too late for Aaron Gordon.
They'll be at too old to be doing that.
But zach Lavine, John Morant certainly has the ability, but he didn't want to do it.
So what you want to do it now? For? I don't believe it. Zack Levine already did it twice.
He doesn't owe us that. But if he gave it to us a third time, boy, where the treated would be? That's all I wanted to say about that. M