It’s no secret. The NBA has been searching tirelessly for some sort of adjustment or alteration to restore the All-Star Weekend to its former glory.

It’s been a painful journey, hindered by unrealistic expectations and antagonistic nostalgia, but in spite of their efforts, the league has failed to battle the ghosts and stand for the present.

This year, expectations were middling, and the product fell short.

The Dunk Contest saw an admittedly ridiculously athletic G-Leaguer take home his third consecutive crown, the Skills Challenge was gamified, and the main event was more ads than basketball.

So what’s going on, and how do we fix it?

The Effort Fallacy

There's a myth poisoning the viewership.

It’s true that we’ve seen all-stars waltz through the game, but this idea that modern players just don’t care the way past icons did is not a good faith argument.

Sunday had its low points. A couple of matador possessions, maybe too many deep 3s, and inarguably some careless turnovers.

But we did see effort. Steph did everything he could to put on for the bay. Wemby looked fully intent on stamping his arrival. And a handful of other stars delivered.

The all star game has never felt like the finals, but this tournament felt more like a game than a walkthrough 

The Format

A lot was made of this year’s tournament format.

The shift was jarring, a single-elimination bracket, games to 40, and the Rising Stars team thrown into the mix.

There were drawbacks. Some stars barely saw the floor, the games were incredibly short, and it felt odd watching Ryan Dunn and Jaylen Wells lead a team against Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.

But there were elements worth a closer look. The competitive energy surged in spots, and we even saw a couple of no easy bucket fouls with the game on the line.

It needs refinement, not rejection.

The Broadcast

Here’s where it got ugly.

Shaq, Chuck, and Kenny are legends. Broadcasting giants who’ve made invaluable contributions to the game.

But please, don’t make us sit through hours of aimless rambling and nonstop jeering.

We don’t need another lecture on how much better things used to be. We don’t need Draymond ranting about how ridiculous things are now. And we definitely don’t need Kevin Hart doing a bad Rucker Park impression.

All-Star Weekend is supposed to celebrate the game, not serve as a platform for personal agendas. Enough bitterness. Enough Bol Bol conversations.

The Breaks

As we noted, there were flashes of real All-Star Weekend pageantry. Some games had budding intensity, a few matchups had extra bite.

But every time the momentum built, it was killed by a lengthy commercial break or some out-of-place gimmick.

Ruffles, State Farm, and Kia have been burned into our eyeballs. Most of us still don’t feel safe to drive.

We get it, it’s a business. Bills need to be paid, profits need to be made. But this was overkill. A corporate-sponsored mess funding some suit’s fifth vacation of the year.

Let the players play.

The Future

We all want All-Star Weekend to reclaim its place as a must-watch event. Getting there won’t be easy.

The presentation has to improve. The dunk contest needs real star power. And the game itself needs an actual rhythm.

But more than anything, the people involved have to stop rooting for it to fail. Enough blame games outside the arena. Enough pining for the glory days.

The product follows the atmosphere, not the other way around.

If you want players to care, stop mocking them with brand-name comedians. Put the spotlight back on the basketball.