OPINION
NBA is wasting All Star weekend and should look to Unrivaled for the answer to player apathy
The NBA is shaking up its All-Star weekend format to try and win over jaded fans.
East vs West showdowns produced some epic contests down the years.
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LeBron James and Kobe Bryant going at it was a sight to behold, with Black Mamba guarding his rival full court and both superstars giving it everything to come out on top for pride's sake.
In recent years, the spectacle has been exactly what you would expect of an exhibition game -- Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama not even attempting to shoot in their skills challenge was quirky but hardly must-see TV.
The NFL has suffered the same issue with the Pro Bowl and decided to go down the flag football route.
Basketball chiefs have gone another direction with a four-team mini-tournament was brought in on the advice of Steph Curry to try and revive interest.
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But the move does nothing to get to the heart of the problem -- if the players don't care, the fans won't either.
In an 82-game calendar -- more if your team reaches the postseason -- this week is an opportunity for tired bodies to recover with a glorified pick-up game for those lucky enough to be selected.
Win or lose, nobody's reputation or legacy is on the line.
The answer may lie in the Unrivaled league -- an upstart set up by WNBA duo Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier to offer players a lucrative alternative to playing abroad during the offseason.
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Stewart went viral after getting shut out 12-0 by Mist teammate Aaliyah Edwards in a one-on-one contest.
One of women's basketball greats would have been terrified of being shown up by a youngster in the social media age. But she agreed to take part anyway.
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Collier took the $200,000 prize after winning the final on Friday and dared NBA stars to follow suit.
"You're putting your name on the line, you're putting your reputation on the line, it's a vulnerable position," she said. "I really commend everybody who competed in this, it's a scary situation, you don't know how it's gonna be, but there's no shame is losing to anyone here.
"It just depends if the guys are willing to put their name on the line like that or not. It would definitely be entertaining."
The risk of being completely humiliated in front of the watching world is why we will never see LeBron -- competing in a record 21st consecutive All-Star weekend -- take on a fellow superstar mano a mano.
But that is exactly why it would reverse the slump.
No player would give anything less than 100 percent if defeat meant the world would claim another man was better than them.
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NBA contracts are soaring past the $300 million mark, King James will be a billionaire by the time he retires.
Money cannot fix the All-Star weekend. Neither will a four-team mini-tournament.
There is only one currency that matters. Pride.
Put that on the line and fans will be more hyped than ever.
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Nobody was complaining when the Slam Dunk contest was briefly scrapped in 1998. Mac McClung going for a three-peat in 2026 might drum up some interest.
Watching a by-then 41-year-old LeBron take on 26-year-old teammate Luka Doncic one-on-one in a battle to be the face of the Los Angeles Lakers would be better.
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