Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty pose for a photograph after their 3-point problem in the course of the State Farm All-Star Saturday Evening at Lucas Oil Stadium. supply: Getty Pictures Throughout the 2024 NBA All-Star festivities, Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry took on the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu in a three-point shoot-off.
To place issues bluntly, it was absolutely the spotlight of the complete NBA All-Star weekend final 12 months. Two stars on the prime of their taking pictures skills going head-to-head to settle the basic males vs. ladies debate? It was must-watch tv.
Curry in the end defeated Ionescu, however each shooters placed on an incredible present. Curry completed the competition with 29 factors whereas Ionescu had 26 factors. They didn’t miss many photographs.
Sadly, the occasion isn’t occurring this 12 months. The reasoning appears considerably unclear.
“We weren’t capable of land on a plan we thought would elevate the bar off of final 12 months’s particular second,” the NBA launched in an announcement. “All of us agreed to not proceed and can as an alternative maintain the give attention to All-Star Sunday’s new format.”
That could be probably the most imprecise rationalization ever. There was nothing fallacious with the format final 12 months. Ionescu is from the San Francisco Bay Space, the place the NBA All-Star festivities will happen this weekend. That provides to the insult that this occasion gained’t be occurring once more.
Just a few weeks in the past, Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark declined an invite to take part within the NBA Three-Level Contest. Understandably, Clark expressed that her need is to have her first three-point competitors happen within the WNBA. Conveniently, the following WNBA All-Star sport will happen at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the place Clark’s Fever play.
Possibly the league had hoped that Clark and Ionescu may workforce up towards Curry and whoever gained the NBA Three-Level Contest. That may have been super leisure. It’s comprehensible why Clark doesn’t wish to take part—and possibly Ionescu handed on the chance as nicely—however the league ought to discover a method to make this idea work.
You realize they’re determined to deliver eyeballs again to their All-Star Weekend in the event that they’re attempting to usher in prime feminine gamers. Maybe a collaboration with the WNBA might be the most effective for either side to extend visibility.
We’ve all heard the criticisms surrounding the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, which persistently falls flat in comparison with how nice the occasion was in many years previous. The All-Star Sport itself is pointless—not actually, after all, as it will likely be the least aggressive basketball you’ll ever discover.
This season’s wrinkle to the NBA All-Star format was letting the “Contained in the NBA” crew draft 4 groups in a tournament-style setup. That’s the extent that anyone ought to know or care about Sunday’s sport.
Curry vs. Ionescu was the spotlight in 2024, and it might have been the spotlight once more in 2025. It’s a bummer that it gained’t occur. There’s all the time subsequent 12 months, hopefully.
