"There are still three regular season games tonight-well, timed basketball events of minimal consequence, if we're honest about it-before the league's week-long break begins, but to listen to the people who purport to care most about the game, the league is up to its eyelids in scorpion venom sunscreen. The All-Star Game itself has been a hot mess for years, and now seems to be in full Pro Bowl territory, but that's the least of Adam Silver's migraines."
"Tanking is so rampant that teams that win are accused of undermining the product; this is not new in itself, but the grousing about it is in full flower a month earlier than usual, and being done twice as vehemently by twice as many teams. Utah alone has gamed the system so well that even people who hate tanking admire how they've done it."
All-Star Weekend and the NBA are symptomatic of broader issues eroding the product. Tanking has become widespread, prompting criticism of both winners and losers and earlier, more intense complaints. Utah exemplifies strategic manipulation of the system that draws begrudging admiration. Load management is normalized and fuels fan resentment despite players' limited agency. On-court incidents and bench-clearing confrontations, framed as competitiveness, reveal escalating tensions. Franchise valuations keep rising even as operational health falters. The spectacle-driven All-Star Game resembles the NFL's Pro Bowl, while league leadership faces growing headaches over maintaining credibility and fan engagement.
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