‘An Absolute Travesty!’ Stephen A. Smith Goes OFF on NBA Players for ‘Flagrant Lack of Effort’ in All-Star Game

Mediaite ^ | FEB 19, 2024 | AHMAD AUSTIN JR.

[MinorityRepublican]

Stephen A. Smith called out NBA players following another lackluster All-Star Weekend that ended with one of the worst All-Star Games in recent memory.

The Eastern Conference All-Stars beat the West 211-186, setting a new scoring record for the game. In the past, the stars have been criticized for not playing defense and putting forth very little effort overall. On Sunday night, however, the game seemingly reached a new low with even less defensive effort and even more scoring.

The game was so bad that Commissioner Adam Silver couldn’t hide is frustration during a the trophy presentation.

On Monday’s episode of First Take, Smith slammed the players for what he called a “flagrant lack of effort.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, what transpired last night was an absolute travesty,” Smith said, adding:

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

They’re rich as shit. What would you do? I’m surprised they aren’t sitting on the sidelines drinking Tahitian cocktails with umbrellas.

[MinorityRepublican]

There's no incentive for the NBA players to put on a quality product anymore.

The NBA used to be great when the players were hungry.

But now they're fat.

[PGR88]

No one wants to get injured in a meaningless game

[glorgau]

211-186?

Hope that the defense got credited for the assists.

[Responsibility2nd]

An All Star game is all about showing off and looking pretty. There is absolutely no room for defense. Racking up double digit games is part of the plan.

Smith is an idiot. He should know better.

[nickcarraway]

I thought they aren’t supposed to try hard?

[CatOwner]

No one wants to get injured in a meaningless game

This.

I really don't know what the solution is. You can have only so much entertainment with the 3-pt and dunk contests (the latter has its own risks).

[MinorityRepublican]

[Fuzz]

👍

[bigdaddy45]

I know what the solution is. Get rid of it. It’s a self indulgent relic.

[dfwgator]

At least the NFL gave up on the farce of The Pro Bowl.

[verum ago]

What a shame.

I grew up watching the NBA, but stopped when I realized college basketball had much more 'real' competition- to me, watching the NBA is like watching professional "wrestling" vs an actual martial art.

I'm not here to slam the NBA or be one of those pretentious FReepers who loves to say they don't watch something out of right-wing virtue signaling. I'm just here to say what I started with: what a shame.

There are so many kids who look up to these men, and look what cues they're being given: 0 effort in a game that's supposed to be an exhibition, a give-back if you will, to the same fans (those kids I just mentioned) who made these low-effort ***holes hugely rich to start with.

They can't even be bothered to actually play the game they all supposedly love even once if it isn't for mega-bucks.

What a shame.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

They should divide whatever pay they get for the game by the sum of the two final scores.

[SamAdams76]

Correct. The "All-Star" game is totally meaningless and just a cash grab for the NBA and an ego trip for the players selected to participate in it.

It would be foolish for a professional athlete getting paid millions of dollars a year to injure himself in such a game.

Maybe in an earlier era, when pro ball players didn't make nearly so much and had to sell used cars in the off-season to make ends meet, they would put out for the game.

Fact is, nobody cares if East beats West, or vice-versa in an All-Star game.

[alternatives?]

On anything regarding entertainment I do not purchase anything WOKE. There are too many other options to spend my dollar on.

[Flycatcher]

211-186

Sounds a lot like the final score of a famous 1916 college football game. That is, if Cumberland College had an offense…

[Rummyfan]

It’s an exhibition game. WGAS? Fans can watch or not watch it’s their decision.

[NWFree]

I think they need to switch to flag basketball in the Negro Basketball Association

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

The NBA has become so ghettoized and hood-ratted. It's entirely promoted to the inner-city and hip-hop culture. Every player has a ton of tattoos, dreadlocks, bunch of out-of-wedlock kids, promoting rap songs on the side, etc.

There seriously needs to be an alternative basketball league that has teams in states such as Iowa, Maine, West Virginia and maybe include Canadian cities such as Winnipeg and Saskatoon. Heartland Basketball. Each team has a million-dollar salary cap and the fundamentals are taught.