The NBA All-Star Game no longer carries the same anticipation for fans or players. Kevin Durant has witnessed this shift firsthand. He has been selected to the All-Star team 15 times since 2009, giving him a unique perspective on how the event has declined over the course of his career.
Notably, Durant pointed to Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard as examples of why the game has diminished to its current state
Kevin Durant Links All-Star Game’s Decline to Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard
During an appearance on his teammate Fred VanVleet’s “Unguarded” podcast, Durant and VanVleet discussed what is wrong with the All-Star game. While Durant made it clear that he actually tries during the game, he also acknowledged that LeBron James does the same.
“Bron locked in every All-Star Game,” Durant said. “He not out there shooting from half court. He not out there playing the gimmick game, shooting every shot left-handed.”
Durant then singled out his ex-teammate Curry and Lillard for why he believes the game has declined.
“I’m blaming Steph,” Durant said. “It’s Steph fault because he come out there and shoot half-court bro. I’m blaming him for the All-Star game because he come out shooting from half. I’m blaming Dame too.”
Kevin Durant blames Steph Curry and Dame for the All Star game and says there’s no fixing it 😳
“Bron locked in every all star game. He not out there shooting from half court. I’m blaming Steph. It’s Steph fault. He come out there and shoot half court bro. I’m blaming him for… pic.twitter.com/ZcDP3I6iTr
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) December 17, 2025
It is noteworthy that Durant singled out the two stars in his criticism of what the All-Star Game has become, particularly given his history with Curry, whose 3-point shooting was the centerpiece of the Golden State Warriors team Durant joined in 2016 — widely regarded as one of the most dominant teams in NBA history.
Attempts from well beyond the 3-point line can create the impression among other players that the game is not being taken seriously, which is problematic because fans expect to see the league’s best compete. At the same time, players are mindful of avoiding injury during a weekend that has no impact on the regular season.
The NBA has experimented with various gimmicks to make the All-Star Game more engaging. In 2026, two teams of US players and one team of international players, known as the World team, will compete in a round-robin format featuring four 12-minute games.
