If you can’t fix it, kill it, says Kevin Durant.
After a disastrous NBA All-Star weekend that fans, players and pundits seemingly universally despised, Durant is prepared to give the weekend’s events the death penalty even after debuting a new format.
“I think it’s more fun to complain about the NBA than to actually watch it,” Durant said on X. “Crazy, cancel all-star weekend, and let’s just give everybody a break since we’re so miserable around this time…”
The NBA All-Star weekend has come under fire in recent years and it does not appear the criticism will be letting up anytime soon.
Fans –– and Warriors star Draymond Green –– have criticized the players’ lack of urgency during the game, the new format featuring a mini-tournament, as well as Kevin Hart acting as the MC for the game.
Green, in particular, rated the game a zero out of 10 and said it was “not basketball” when discussing the five-on-five tournament with games being played to 40 instead of a traditional East vs. West game.
Outkick personality @TheGunzShow on X responded to Durant about the poor product for fans.
“KD… today’s a day off for yall, I am asking you to rewatch the FULL live broadcast – with the unreal amount of commercials, breaks, everything else, today. Watch it from your couch,” he wrote. “And see if you can watch the full event straight through. And it was an ALL STAR GAME. Not ideal.”
Durant seemed to back off his stance a bit but still thinks fans just enjoy complaining.
“I get it,” he wrote. “My point is, fans complain about EVERYTHING. Like nothing is good enough for the fans right now. Only thing they enjoy is playoffs, trade deadline, free agency, and when players beef with each other lol.”
Fans have indeed been complaining about the NBA’s pace of play, which includes a lack of defense as well as an extreme volume of 3-point jump shots throughout the league.
It has gotten so bad that some have even lost faith in commissioner Adam Silver.
Ratings at one point were down as much as 25 percent this season, but that has since rebounded to more normalized numbers, and, certainly, Luka Doncic now being on the Lakers won’t hurt.
Perhaps Durant is just complaining less because his team won Sunday, with former teammate Stephen Curry earning All-Star Game MVP honors.
