Did you watch the All-Star Game? I thought the revamped format would improve things, but it somehow got worse. The biggest takeaway? It was slow, tedious, and painfully overstuffed.

Three hours total—180 minutes. That’s longer than most epic movies (which start rolling credits around the 2-hour mark). But here’s the kicker: the three quarters of actual gameplay lasted 22, 25, and 32 minutes—only 79 minutes total. That’s less than 44% of the broadcast. If we call movie filler “pee breaks,” the All-Star Game had 70% pee break material.

Sure, there were performances and skits, but few stuck. The fan who hit a half-court shot for $100k was a rare highlight. In the final quarter, 55.9% of shots were threes (compare to Boston’s 42% season average). KD and Lillard took one shot each (no points). Harden, who went 1-2 for 3 points in the final 8 minutes, didn’t even stick around for the trophy ceremony.

While Jokic looked checked out, the World Team played hard—especially Wemby. But the Home Team’s 11-0 start in the final quarter killed the suspense. After long timeouts, the game reverted to the usual All-Star casualness. Why the World Team collapsed? Maybe because they waited over an hour between quarters—their momentum (and bodies) went cold.

This is the 74th All-Star Game from the NBA, the most entertainment-savvy pro league on earth. So why does it feel so amateurish?

Pro basketball is showbiz, and research says audiences max out at 2.5 hours for a “show.” Unless there’s non-stop action, people get antsy. The NBA knows this—they’ve cut game times, reduced timeouts, and limited reviews. But the All-Star Game backfired: shorter actual basketball (less than 3 regular quarters) stretched into a 3-hour marathon. Poor design, zero regard for fans.

The All-Star Game should entertain fans and reward sponsors, but the game itself is the core. Without that, it’s just a corporate event in a basketball jersey. Here’s hoping next year’s LA All-Star is tighter—though I won’t hold my breath.