Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has never been one to shy away from talking about issues plaguing the NBA, and that was again the case on Thursday.
Two hot topics in the NBA right now are the new All-Star Game format and the volume of 3-point shot attempts across the league.
In order to have a more competitive All-Star Game, the league has switched the format to make a four-team tournament, which some players like Lakers star Anthony Davis have expressed displeasure with.
The All-Star Game has not been competitive in recent years and the league is looking for a fix as ratings continue to decrease. As big of a topic as the All-Star format is though, James believes the issue goes even deeper and has to do with 3-point volume increasing, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
“Something had to change. I was not part of the committee… Everyone has their own opinion. It’s different in a sense. But we’ll see when we get there. It’s different, obviously anytime you make some type of change, obviously there’s gonna be some pushback. I don’t know. I have my ideas of what could possibly work, but I’m not gonna [get into it]… We gotta do something. Obviously the last couple years have not been a great All-Star Game, that Sunday night. But listen, it’s a bigger conversation. It’s not just the All-Star Game. It’s our game in general. Our game, there’s a lot of f—ing 3s being shot. So it’s a bigger conversation than just the All-Star Game.”
The volume of 3-point shots across the league continues to increase yearly, but especially this year as teams are averaging 37.5 triples a game, up from 35.1 a season ago.
James is a historian of the game and a fan himself, so after watching games this season, he is coming to the conclusion that too many 3-point shots are being taken.
It remains to be seen if that is the reason for the ratings dip, although commissioner Adam Silver recently pointed out some other factors as well. But with one of the league’s biggest stars in LeBron now speaking up about it, it will be interesting to see if the NBA looks to make any changes in the future to decrease 3-point shooting outputs and make games more entertaining.
LeBron James stresses foot injury is not behind him
LeBron James is likely headed for his record 21st All-Star Game appearance. He has been dealing with a foot issue, however, which forced him to miss two games for the Lakers.
Despite returning from injury, James emphasized that the foot issue is not behind him and will be something he needs to continue to manage. If that is still the case in February, it will be interesting to see if he suits up for the All-Star Game or sits out in order to get some much-needed rest.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
