The NBA aims to highlight its sport during All-Star Weekend. However, starting events at 2 PM on Saturday was not the best decision.
All-Star Saturday took place in the afternoon at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. This scheduling was influenced by NBC’s earlier agreement to show taped coverage of the Winter Olympics in prime time. As a result, many viewers were unaware of the activities happening that day.
NBA missed the mark with Damian Lillard and All-Star events
This year, All-Star Saturday started at least three hours earlier than usual, and the NBA also rearranged the event lineup. They kicked off with the Three-Point Contest, which is typically the second event and, in recent years, has been the most exciting.
A standout story emerged this year. Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, who had been sidelined all season due to an Achilles injury sustained in the previous playoffs, participated in the contest. Competing on one leg and still not fit to play in NBA games, Lillard outperformed Devin Booker, Kon Knueppel, and the challenges of age to win his third Three-Point Contest. This victory ties him with Larry Bird and Craig Hodges for the most wins in this category.
It was a remarkable event, but many potential viewers were unaware it was taking place.