Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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The All-Star Game remains terrible. The All-Star Game has been bad for years and years.
Ah, what a throwback.
Chapter 2: What are the major criticisms of the NBA All-Star Game?
This is Rahimi Harrison-Grody on 104.3 The Score. Did you just start to dance a little?
Not dance. I just went back to that old school, was it Pepsi commercial with young Alfonso Ribeiro as like a mini MJ. That was a thing.
We've forced Herb Howard to stay with us for another segment because we thought he might have some basketball thoughts because, well, we've even run into Herb at a basketball game or two. So Herb is joining us for this next segment. And it's because we talked about it in one of our breaks. Kevin Durant is part of Team USA. That's not the right terminology.
He's part of the team representing the USA versus the world.
So there's two USA teams in the All-Star game, and there's a team world, okay? Yes. And Team USA has been divided up into two teams, USA Stars, USA Stripes.
And then the world.
And then there's the world. The world is all the European and Canadians and every other place you can imagine with players like Victor Wimbanyama, obviously from France, Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam, Alperin Chagoun. Jamal Murray, Nikolaj Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shea Gilgis-Alexander won't be playing because he's injured, Denny Avdia, and of course Giannis is injured as well.
Now the USA players are divided into two teams. The USA Stars and Stripes. Here are the Stars. Scotty Barnes, Devin Booker, Kate Cunningham, Jalen Dern, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey. Very young All-Stars. And then there are the Stripes. Yes.
Jalen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Steph Curry, who's injured, Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, he's an injury replacement for Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, and De'Aaron Fox, a little bit longer in the tooth are the stripes than the stars.
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Chapter 3: How are the USA teams structured for the All-Star Game?
If they do, great, we get the product that we want. And if they don't, then we get to talk about those dudes ā definitively about just not competing and not playing hard, I don't think Luka will care much. I still think Luka will just be out there kind of going through the motions, doing his thing. But hopefully... it ignites them a little bit to go ahead and compete.
I reference you to Nikola Jokic immediately after winning the NBA finals, getting upset because he realized there was going to be a parade and it was going to delay his return to his native country to get back to his horses. That tells you where the care is. It's not. It's not the same. It's not the same.
Somebody said, like, get you a job that gets you a work-life balance like Nicola Jokic.
Yeah. Sounds perfect to me. And I tell you this, KD, he'll be playing because all KD cares about is hooping. All he wants to do is hoop. Hooping. And now, look, and now he glossy? Yeah. No longer ashy, KD? Yeah. Yeah.
Chapter 4: Who are the standout players on the World team for the All-Star Game?
He might even brush his hair for this. He might even brush his hair for this. He might even brush his hair.
He really is like that, though. Kevin Durant, in his spare time, is doing one thing, and that's watching more basketball.
Have y'all ever seen the TikTok video? Kevin Durant. It's like a guy playing Kevin Durant. It's like Kevin Durant in the morning. He literally wakes up, stretches. He's got a brush on his nightstand. He picks up the brush and then shoots it into the trash can. Hey, that's good. That's really good. That's really good. An accurate depiction of Kevin Durant.
Every item is merely just a basketball instrument for KD. Like, whatever.
My favorite is when somebody tells him about something that happened in the league that night. Somebody's point total went off something. And then he just gets to react. Like he hadn't looked at the phone and seen it. That's my favorite when he gets that information after a game.
Yeah, he's going to have like a great podcast or be great on TV or radio when he's done. That's the guy I will be truly saddened when he retires.
Yeah.
Because I love him. But at the same time, I'll be like, but we can still find him in these Twitter streets. Oh, for sure.
He'll be outside. He's like us talking about the game all the time. He happens to be one of the best players in the world.
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Chapter 5: Will veterans compete effectively against younger All-Star players?
He did that at the All-Star game time and time again.
He did that against the Bulls just the other day. The problem is he's capable of hitting them.
He's doing it against every team. Yeah. Far away leading the league in scoring and making everything look effortless. So I wouldn't be surprised. It's like there are certain people where it's like, okay, if they care, then this is different. Like Jokic. You know, I think if he plays to like even, I don't know, 70% of what he does. LeBron, obviously.
It's so funny because Jokic always looks like he's playing at about 60-70% of what a person would do. Just the nature of his movements. Also, I just want to tell people the financial stakes involved. Because the NBA is trying to give them more money. You know, the guys with $50 million contracts and beyond. The players on the winning team in this event walks away with... $125,000 each of them.
Players on the second place team get $50,000. Players on the third place team get $25,000. So there's a significant difference for some of these. It's just hard when they make so much to be like, oh, yeah, six-figure check. Still a good night out in Atlanta. It's a game check for some of these guys.
In Atlanta.
It's very specific of you. I just want to point that out.
I mean, that's how they got him motivated to do the in-season tournament. They put real money into that.
Yeah, yeah. That's a good motivator for most people, even if you're already rich. What's the problem with getting another decent-sized bag?
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Chapter 6: What motivates players to participate in the All-Star events?
The views with the Victory logo all up on it. Him saying, yeah, thanks to Victory, I'm jumping even higher. You already know what it is.
You just came up with a slogan like that.
Well, I know where these dunks, if I'm correct, these dunks took place right here in Chicago. Down in West Loop.
At this court that everybody publishes pictures from. Everybody posts all these pictures. You know what court I'm talking about. You guys know. It's always the court with the city in the background. And every single time. And I've known like several people who've gone to that court. I'm like, where is this? And then they'll just be like, oh, it's in West Loop. And I'm like, but where?
It's over there. It's right next to Oakville. Modest probably hangs out there and gets some shots up right after or before brunch or lunch. I am getting into that. If you aren't going to be a superstar, stay in college for the NIL money. That's what McClung's doing now. Just stay for the NIL money. Never mind.
No, no. Enough of you two trying to obfuscate here. I am going to find this court and I'm going to go and I'm going to miss a shot. Badly.
Are you going to record yourself missing a shot?
No.
Maybe missing a shot is a normal thing. Contact us.
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Chapter 7: How does the financial incentive affect player performance in All-Star events?
Why didn't I think of that?
Yeah.
And he's told me it before, but I was so distracted by the glow of TJ Maxx.
Oh, it wasn't the glitter? The glitter wasn't what distracted you?
I really shouldn't have let that one slide. I told it to too many people. I'm giving away secrets here. Max Crosby was on Jim Gray's Let's Go podcast and I think gave some clarity to what the discussion is surrounding his status with the Raiders.
I have a lot of goals, but I do want to win. That's all that matters ultimately, but I want to be in a place that where mentally I'm 100% myself. I just want to focus on football. That's truly what I want. People that know me know I'm about the work. and football. I just want to play football and be left the f*** alone. Period. And if people that don't understand that, don't f***ing know me.
People can say whatever they want. I truly, and I'm saying this like, well, you had to get on a show and talk about it. Yeah, that's my obligation. I have to do that. But truly, I don't give a f*** besides playing football and winning football games. I give my whole life to this sport. Every single day. I'm here every morning.
My alarm goes off at four fifty five and I am driving thirty five minutes across town in an empty, dark building doing the same thing every single day, trying to help my team, trying to help myself. People can talk all they want. People go on Twitter. I don't even see half the time. Like I said, half of it is news to me. I just care about playing football. You love it. I don't love football.
I am obsessed. I've been playing tackle football since I could walk. This is what I do. I've done it my whole life. I don't know anything else. I love my family. I love friends and doing a podcast from time to time. Would this be one of those times? This would be one of those times. And I love seeing you, Jim. I love playing football.
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