Theoretically, this column could have been written by Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, who recently commented on the decline in All-Star voting that saw Stephen Curry, the leading vote-getter, get 1.5 million votes.

"And fans are allowed to vote more than once, right?" Cuban said "That's embarrassing. To think that we couldn't get people to vote enough times. No one even tried to hack it. That's how bored they are."

Cuban argues that fan voting needs to be removed, an opinion backed up by plenty of media members, and even a large section of fans as well.

But limiting the problem to fan voting would be fallen short of realizing the bigger problem that's been looming in recent years, and will only grow larger if the league insists on ignoring it.

The All-Star Weekend has lost its appeal and charisma, as it's turned into a social media-ridden extravaganza, completely robbed of integrity and honor.

Those are harsh words, admittedly, but nonetheless true. The Rookie/Sophomore Game, this year replaced by a USA - The World game featuring a combination of rookies and sophomores, has been a no-defense zone in which the greatest skill displayed is the ability to fake defensive interest for six to seven seconds, only to literally step aside for an incoming dunker. 

Sure, it's entertainment and shouldn't necessarily try to mimic the 2004 Pistons who would crowd the pick-and-roll whenever they possibly could. However, completely disregarding one end of the court isn't basketball, nor is a game with a dunk-counter the correct way to introduce kids to the sport.

All-Star Saturday has always been the night that goes off-script from normalcy, in which actual games are completely nonexistent, which is a perfectly sound idea. The entertainment value however, is consistently disappointing, excluding the Three-point Shoot-out that focuses on the most fundamental aspect of the game. 

The Skills Challenge is a nice acquisition, but hinges heavily on star participation. The league seems more concerned about bringing big names to the event, than lesser-known players who might be intriguing to watch in such a setting. Additionally, the event now has co-winners, which is furthering an annoying trend of handing out as many awards as humanly possible.

The Shooting Stars event does little to stimulate viewers, as has been the case since its introduction in 2004. While the inclusion of WNBA players and former greats (occasionally) is commended, the contest needs a make-over or a shorter timeframe to succeed, as it currently doesn't offer the suspense it promises.

The final fixing for All-Star Saturday is an easy one. Switch around the Dunk Contest and Three-point Shoot-out. The league views the Dunk Contest as wrapping up the evening on a high note, but ever since Vince Carter destroyed the event for all future participants in 2000, All-Star Saturday has ended with a disappointing sigh. The Three-point Shoot-out however, has something unique. It's constant. A previous winner cannot affect future participants, the suspense is ever-present, and it doesn't come down to social media buzz, but rather if the isolated player makes his shot, or doesn't. As horribly simplified as it sounds, the contest is pure.

The actual All-Star game has similar issues as the Rookie event, but given its high-scale interest, and famous participants, its constant failure in living up to expectations carries significantly more weight. Players are increasingly more friendly and relaxed amongst each other, which makes for less interesting watching, and directly affects aggressiveness and willingness to compete.

In short, there's no intensity. The game today lacks an edge, as players appear to be more interested in hanging out and poking fun, than actually proving why they're there in the first place. The All-Star Game is built on the premise of gathering the very best players of that particular season. Players who have worked tirelessly to fight themselves to the top of the league. So why is it that the work these players have put in, and which fans reward, is completely ignored in an All-Star setting where the norm is getting out of the way for each other?

Frankly, the development is insulting to not just the fans who've voted these players in, but indirectly to the players who have put the work in to reach that level. The All-Star Game should represent the games of those involved, instead of seeing the world's best players collectively conform into a fast-paced, no-intensity, no-defense playing dunking fiasco that might as well have been played by an And-1 mixtape group.

Fundamentals and intensity matter, because basketball matters. The entire basis of the NBA All-Star Weekend is to display the greatest and most unique players in the game of basketball, but instead fans are treated to a lazy highlight package that in no way, shape, or form does the sport justice. 

The NBA is the best sports league in the world at promoting themselves, but when it comes to their annual All-Star Weekend, they're forgetting that there needs to be something of substance to promote. 

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Morten Jensen
NBA writer for Vavel, BBallBreakdown and SirCharlesInCharge at FanSided.