Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Nick Friedell doesn't see a fix for NBA's struggling All-Star Weekend
13 Feb 2026
Chapter 1: What are the expectations for NBA All-Star Weekend?
I was a kid who marveled at all the All-Stars, all the All-Star games growing up.
You know, and to be able to hit the floor and be a part of, like, the legacy and everything that's happened with NBA All-Star weekend and NBA All-Star game on Sunday. Just super humble, super blessed, and happy to be part of it.
That was LeBron James. This is Rahimi Harrison Brody on 104.3 The Score. And whether or not you like it, it's NBA All-Star Weekend. Snuck up on us.
That's not nice.
Chapter 2: Why do fans feel disappointed with the NBA All-Star Game?
Why is it not nice? It's just me laughing about it on the schedule.
I feel like NBA All-Star Weekend has disappointed so many people over the matter of time that people aren't willing to give it a chance anymore.
People aren't willing to give it a chance. If you're listening to our station, there's a good chance you're probably going to catch some of the NBA All-Star action.
You really think so? Because I've heard a lot of people say they are not interested in tuning in for the NBA All-Star game.
Yes, they also said they were going to boycott the NBA. There's all these other ways they talk about it. But something tells me it's going to come across. Highlights, content, you're going to see it somewhere. That's just how it is. Nick Friedel joins us live from Los Angeles, the site of that All-Star weekend. And he is on the Circus Sports Illinois hotline. Download the Circus Sports app today.
Nick is also on Twitch, twitch.tv slash the score Chicago. Hey, Nick. Yeah. What is a, I guess it's where we kind of should start because you remember the hemming and hawing that was done last year for how failed the all-star game was and how nobody cared. What do you think of the new format?
Layla, the All-Star game remains terrible.
Fair enough. Kind of goes back to the initial statement. Yeah.
Right off the top. The All-Star game has been bad for years and years. And I'll give you two examples from the past. where I thought it was actually good. The first one was in 2012 in Orlando when Dwyane Wade broke Kobe's nose because he was playing some serious defense. That was 14 years ago. That shows how far the decline has gone.
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Chapter 3: What is Nick Friedel's opinion on the All-Star game's format?
And the league has some serious problems. And guys, we're five minutes into the conversation here. We haven't even touched on the T word.
We're about to. Don't you worry about that.
Permeated through everything. These are big fundamental issues that the league has. And when you have All-Star weekend and you get to a point in the schedule where everybody's going to go, oh man, this should be a celebration. It's not a celebration anymore. It's a reminder of the way things used to be. and it's a reminder of the current state of the game.
So I'm sitting there watching this every night, and I can't tell you all how many times, even in the last couple months, being back in it day to day, and I'm around the Warriors a lot, I look at my colleagues on press row, and we're looking at each other and we're like, are you watching this? Are you looking at this? People are just not going as hard as we're used to seeing.
And it's not just a one or two team thing. It's an everybody thing because there are too many games. The regular season is way too long. And you've got all the back-to-backs that guys either don't play in or when they do play,
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Chapter 4: How has the All-Star game declined over the years?
they aren't fully invested in the same way because they know, like we all know, that there are much bigger games down the stretch of the season. So there are a lot of problems right now for the league in the All-Star weekend and the dunk contest. Those are just reminders of much bigger issues.
Nick Friedel is the senior writer for The Athletic covering the Golden State Warriors and the NBA. Joining us here on Rahimi Harris and Grody and Nick, that T-word. Tank. A lot of teams driving one of those things. Those bad boys right now. The Bulls are apparently trying to get into a brand new tank and drive their way.
It's going to be a while to try to catch some of these teams that have gotten a nice head start on them. What do you make of the fines that were given out by the NBA as sort of this warning shot to both the Indiana Pacers, but more importantly, the Utah Jazz?
Marshall, at least they're trying something. I mean, 500 grand is as much as the league can go at anyone. I think what they're hoping for actually has two different parts to it. One, that in Utah, it's so clear what they're doing that The next time Will Hardy, the coach, looks down on his bench and is like, maybe I shouldn't sub these guys out and attempt to let them play down the stretch.
These games make it so obvious. But two, what they're hoping for is a lot of these other teams, and I know the Jazz and the Pacers got dinged here, but they don't want to get that kind of fine. And even more, they don't want the public scrutiny of, all right, well, Are they really trying tonight? Is this really on the up and up? Because you're screwing with the fabric of the game.
My old colleague Bobby Marks said the integrity of the game. And when you watch, that's the problem. You're just not sure. what you're going to see night to night. And Layla, you and I were at the UC for so many years watching all those Bulls games. That was never a question that popped in your head.
No.
It was like, all right, do they have enough tonight? Are they running out of gas? But you never thought, is everybody giving their all? And that is what the league has become right now. So I think the NBA has some serious, serious issues. But Marshall, too. your question and to the larger point, I think they're aware of them.
I mean, it'd be one thing if they sat there and said, oh, no, everything's great. Let's celebrate basketball and the regular season's awesome. It's not. They know it. They're trying to do what they can, but the reward for tanking so far outweighs A half a million dollar fine or a slap on the wrist with some second round pick from five years from now.
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Chapter 5: What are the underlying issues affecting the NBA's All-Star Weekend?
How would you explain the next... Is it an opportunity for people?
Is that what we're calling it? I guess it is technically an opportunity. It's... Real people and not real people. And the two shall co-mingle where? Hmm. Next.