The 2023 NBA All-Star was less of a basketball game and plus a dunk contestand it seems that the audience was not impressed.
audience for the Stars game in Salt Lake City saw a significant drop from the previous two years.
Team LeBron forward LeBron James (6) reacts during the first half of the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 19, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
According to Nielsen Media Research, the game on TNT had a total viewership of 3.7 million, down 32% from the previous year, when the total viewership was just over 5.4 million.
NBA ALL-STAR GAME ‘IS THE WORST BASKETBALL GAME EVER PLAYED,’ SAYS NUGGETS COACH
In the coveted demographic of adults 25-54, 2023 ratings are down 28%.
It was him smallest all-star game recorded audience, according to Sports Media Watch.
The final score was 184-175 as Team Giannis [Antetokounmpo] pulled out the win. But, in a game without any real effort, the players and coaches spoke out about that lack of effort.
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Team Giannis forward Jayson Tatum (0) receives his Most Valuable Player trophy after the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 19, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)
denver nuggets Head coach Michael Malone called it «the worst game of basketball ever played» after coaching the LeBron team. [James].
«I don’t know if you can fix it,» Malone said after the game. «I give Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, those guys were competing. Joel was imploring some of the guys to play harder, to try to defend themselves. But no one was hurt. They put on a show for the fans, but that’s a game hard to bear, I’m not going to lie.»
boston celtics guard Jaylen Brown He was also not impressed with the energy.
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«That wasn’t basketball,» Brown said, according to the Los Angeles Times. «It was just highlights, layups and jump shots. Probably only two fouls in the whole game. To me, I’m sure people would like to see a little more of what we show. But I guess that’s the format of what I’ve been doing, and I’m not sure how to change it.»
Giannis Antetokounmpo holds up the winning team’s trophy after the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 19, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
After the match, oklahoma city thunder Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was asked how to improve the game, and said more money might be enough.
«Money talks, so the more incentive I think the guys will take it more seriously,» Gilgeous-Alexander said. «That being said, it was super fun as it stands now, and I have no complaints. I don’t necessarily think it should be fixed, but if they want that, I think there’s a way for sure.»