For quite some time now, LeBron James has been asked to voice his opinion on any major issue involving the NBA.
This is a practice that will continue for as long as James is active, and probably even into his retirement. On Wednesday, James was asked about the NBA’s recent change to its All-Star Game format, which is now structured as a four-team tournament.
James’ answer started off focused on the All-Star Game before touching on an overriding conversation about game play throughout the league, specifically the amount of three-pointers attempted each game.
“We gotta do something,” James said. “Obviously the last couple years have not been a great All-Star Game, that Sunday night. But listen, it’s a bigger conversation. It’s not just the All-Star Game. It’s our game in general. Our game, there’s a lot of f—–g 3s being shot. So it’s a bigger conversation than just the All-Star Game.”
LeBron James, when asked about changes to the NBA All-Star Game format, touched on more issues with the league: “Our game, there’s a lot of f—ing 3s being shot. So it’s a bigger conversation than just the All-Star Game” pic.twitter.com/weKJVSyXfB
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 19, 2024
James declined to go further, saying that was a topic for another time, but it’s something that other players, coaches and even commissioner Adam Silver have discussed recently.
“The answer is yes, [we are having] many discussions about the style of basketball [being played],” Silver said Tuesday prior to the NBA Cup final between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks. “I would not reduce it to a so-called 3-point shooting issue. I think we look more holistically at the skill level on the floor, the diversity of offense, the fan reception to the game, all of the above.
“I think the game is in a great place. I love watching the games, and I think we have some of the most skilled athletes in the world competing — and it’s unfair, I think, to the players to lump them into categories as 3-point shooters or a midrange shooter or big man playing under the basket. It’s an amazing game.”
Three-point shooting volume is up around the league, with the Boston Celtics on pace to break the single-season record for treys attempted.
Whether or not that leads to any rule changes to suppress three-point tries remains to be seen. but if James is saying it’s a problem, you can bet other guys around the league agree.
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