Several NBA legends stayed away from All-Star Game: ‘These guys don’t give a damn — why should I?’

The 2025 NBA All-Star Game once again left many fans longing for how the event used to be.

This season, the league tried a tournament-style format in place of a single game, and while the format maybe helped matters slightly in terms of creating a more competitive product, it still left many fans unsatisfied. Some other factors (like excessive stoppages during the tournament) also contributed to the fan reception.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith shared that he and colleague Michael Wilbon both opted against attending the 2025 All-Star Game. He then explained that several NBA legends have said of today’s All-Stars, “These guys don’t give a damn — why should I?”

“We know several Hall of Famers — I don’t have to mention their names,” Smith said. “Just look in the audience. You’ll see them nowhere in the vicinity. You’ll see them nowhere in town. And their exact words were, ‘These guys don’t give a damn — why should I?’ And it’s numerous Hall of Famers, champions, etc. who have said that.”

This season’s tournament-style event was the league’s latest attempt to pump new life into the All-Star Game. It came after the 2024 All-Star Game between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference featured such little defense that the two teams combined for almost 400 points.

The NBA has experimented with a variety of formats in recent years, but nothing has stuck. There has been some talk of a possible one-on-one tournament at All-Star Weekend in 2026, something that could add interest, but it’s unclear if that will come to fruition.

Effort has been a common concern in modern All-Star Games in the NBA. It sometimes seems like there isn’t enough on the line for players to take it seriously. While the effort displayed in this year’s tournament wasn’t as bad as it’s been some other years, some fans felt like there was still something to be desired.

Hopefully, the NBA can come up with a solution in the near future to fix its All-Star Game woes. When the All-Star Game is exciting and competitive, it can be a fantastic display of the NBA’s top players, giving all fans a reason to watch and celebrate the league.

If that happens, perhaps some of the NBA legends Smith referenced will want to show up again.