I think putting up embarrassing performances during biggest promotional event on the league calendar on at a time when no other sports are on,
is bad for the league in a way that extends beyond the dollars and cents of how much the all star games gets in the TV Deal.
the league spends huge amounts of money on commercials marketing the league. the all star game is essentially one giant commercial for NBA basketball.
and it's horrible.
it's harder to measure, but I don't think it's smart business at all to pretend like it doesn't matter.
I am not pretending it doesn't matter. I just spelled out a way it does matter business-wise.
I am saying all things considered it doesn't matter to the players. And I completely understand why.
Furthermore, the players do things outside the League structure, to promote the game, for example, off-season international tours.
And I don't think the competitiveness of the game is all that consequential to the league, even in marketing.
So on balance, I would give them a pass.
All this "can't you see how they are hurting the brand" to me is just dressing up a "they are making the owners agree" argument.
This is such a bad business decision, you know it is horrible, and you have no way of quantifying it.
Sorry, not really convincing IMO
The NBA has all their revenue data, they can put a price on it.
how many injuries have we had during the all star game? people act like this is a common thing. NBA player don't even play in it unless they are 100% healthy.
how did older player who had less rest, able to play harder and avoid injury?
I just don't think it's any serious risk at all, other than the risk of playing basketball.
which NBA player happily do for pro ams, open-runs private runs.
It is not that common, but it doesn't have to be common for players to consider the risk.
Take Devin Booker for example. His play and team record put him on the borderline of being all-NBA. The last part of the season will decide. He picked up minor lower leg injuries early in the team that made him miss a couple of games. He played with those injuries and hurt himself some more.
After that BS ejection that the league counts against him, he is on track to not play enough games to qualify for any awards, even if he does nuts in the last part of the season.
Why should not think that him pulling a hamstring (which he does a lot) or turning an ankle (relatively minor injuries) would be a risk he wants to minimize? If he was playing on his Supermax contract, all NBA would be even more consequential for him.
I don't think the injury risk is some "I might tear my ACL out there" type of stuff. But more on the margin. All it has to do is seem like a credible risk. And unless you can show it to be 0%, then it is credible.
The risk of injury doesn't have to be common, it just has to be a real consideration for it to be impactful on player judgment
Most of the time, players would not get injured in a competitive game. But when it does happen, that player gonna look foolish and he will get nothing extra from the fans, Adam Silver, or anyone else than some hoop equivalent of "thoughts and prayers"
-I think off-season runs count as off-season training in players' minds too. And again, we see 100% of the all-star game. But a small fraction of NBA players playing offseason.
Like Jokic clearly doesn't take this game seriously, post his Rico Hines runs for me then.
fine try carrot first, I just don't think it will work because NBA player make so much money.
The same logic can be applied to your idea of fines. Do you think a $50,000 fine gonna make players try harder?
You are gonna have to fine them huge amounts.
Amounts that the Player's Association will probably have to agree to.
What do you think the Player's Association gonna be more open to, bonuses or fines?
imo this is fundamentally about what is cool to do and what isn't. its a social thing imo.
Nah, I disagree. I just think the players, given market conditions, know there isn't a real need to give a damn.
️ thread in the meantime 
, got Champions League games this week 
