Source: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers / Getty
Former President Barack Obama is currently making the political rounds, making fun of a “loonier Donald Trump” and reciting Eminem lyrics in front of thousands.
But with late October among us, he’s also going to do what any NBA fan does: complain about the All-Star game that’s still months away.
In recent years, fans have been annoyed about the All-Star game’s lack of competitiveness from some of the best players on the planet. The league’s best barely play defense and fear they might get injured, making the contest honestly pretty dull.
President Obama didn’t just admit what many fans are thinking—he said it to one of last year’s competitors in the declining game.
“Y’all got to have a little more pride in that All-Star Game… It’s an insult to the game.” -Obama confronts Tyrese about the NBA All Star Game pic.twitter.com/ynmGQaJfBm
— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) October 23, 2024
“Y’all gotta have a little more pride in that All-Star Game,” Obama said to Haliburton. “I mean, look, it’s not as if y’all don’t play pickup during the summers. You know how to play in a way that, ‘Alright, I’m not gonna hurt anybody. I’m not gonna take anybody out.’ That All-Star Game, it’s broke, man.”
Haliburton said he was just following suit as he came off the bench and didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, but he admits that he got a similar comment from his dad. He also admitted that Larry Bird came into the locker room prior to last season’s game, but nothing seemed to change when they stepped on the court.
Obama asserts that players tempered their play in the 1990s and early aughts, but it was still fun to watch.
“I mean, people just not running, everybody just trying all kinds of — it used to be, when Kobe [Bryant] and Michael [Jordan] and Isiah [Thomas], and those guys were playing, man, I mean, they weren’t playing the way they did regular season, but they wanted to win,” Obama added. “It insults the game. This is your business. This is your product. You don’t want people thinking you’re all out there just half-assed.”
The lifelong Chicago sports fan said it could be because the players get paid so much money now. Still, he does admit that the in-season tournament was pretty competitive last year, likely because it counted towards all the franchise’s 82 games.
“Y’all need to do something because I ain’t watching that thing no more,” Obama concluded.
The NBA did try to add more excitement to the game, like experimenting with the Elam method, ending with an untimed fourth quarter, and letting lead vote-getters draft their own teams instead of the East vs. West theme. Still, last season’s game ended with a score of 211-186.
See how social media is reacting to Obama being all of us regarding the NBA All-Star game.
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