Kevin Durant says All-Star criticism missing the point

The All-Star effort debate isn’t landing with Kevin Durant.

Speaking Saturday, the Rockets star pushed back on the idea that players used to compete harder in the game, a long-running talking point that seems to surface every February.

Durant has some perspective here. Sunday will mark his 16th All-Star appearance, and he said he went back and watched the tape.

A lot of it.

“I’ve been watching All-Star Games and the intensity the older generation been talking about,” Durant told reporters, trailing off and shaking his head. “I don’t know if I’ve seen it.”

As relayed by Devon Henderson and Eric Nehm of The Athletic, viewership has dipped again, with last year’s game seeing a notable decline. Durant doesn’t think the players are the problem. Or at least not the problem.

“I just feel like fans and media need something to complain about,” he said. “The All-Star Game don’t make them feel like it made them feel back when they were kids, so they need something to complain about.”

Durant framed the weekend less as a referendum on competitiveness and more as what it’s always been meant to be.

“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, to be honest,” he said. “The All-Star Game, the All-Star Weekend, it’s here to celebrate the game of basketball.”

In other words, nostalgia may be doing more heavy lifting than memory.