Draymond Green proposes fix for NBA All-Star Game

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game set a record for the highest-scoring All-Star Game in the history of the league.

The East defeated the West, 211-186, as the two teams combined for 397 points. Records for 3-pointers made and field goals made were also set in Indianapolis. As you can tell, defense was optional — a common occurrence during the NBA All-Star Game in recent years.

Both players and NBA commissioner Adam Silver have recognized the league has a problem with the competitiveness of the game, though a viable solution doesn’t seem to jump out. Some have suggested the league award the winning team $1 million, but Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green isn’t exactly on board with that.

The key to fixing the All-Star Game, Green said on his Volume podcast this week, is to make a “real game day” out of the event.

Draymond Green sounds off on NBA All-Star Game

“If we want this to be a real game, let’s make this a real game day.” 🗣️@Money23Green tells us how to fix the All-Star Game pic.twitter.com/ocpt4ITOgS

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) February 25, 2024

“It’s called game day for a reason because everything you do that day is to prepare for the game,” Green said. “The All-Star Game, you do a million other things before the game. And then, you’re asking the highest level of athletes to then go exert an extreme amount of energy. So, if you want the game to be a game, you need to make sure that guys can prepare for what? A game.

“The NBA should be covering physios being there. That physio’s travel, that physio’s hotel room, that physio being at the arena. Everybody keeps saying, ‘Ah, man, raise it up to a million dollars.’ That’s when you’re going to get guys hurt. Because if it’s the same obligations where you can’t focus on getting your body ready for a game, and then you’re going to say, ‘Hey, here’s a bright shiny object that is a million dollars.’ That’s when you’re going to get guys hurt. Why? Because they are exerting energy to get a million dollars and not properly preparing to exert that energy.

“So, if we want to make this a real game, let’s make this a real game day.”

While the game itself didn’t draw rave reviews, viewership was up. 11.6 million unique viewers tuned into the game. Average viewership over the course of the game was 5.5 million. Both those numbers represent a 14% jump from last year.