Stephen Curry named NBA All-Star Game MVP while Draymond Green reacts to new format: 'This sucks'

Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum (26) contributed a total of 27 points as Shaquille O'Neal's "Team Shaq's OGs" secured a comfortable victory in the revamped NBA All-Star game held in San Francisco on Sunday.

Curry, showcasing his skills on the home court of Golden State's Chase Center, delivered a series of signature three-pointers, enabling his talented team to achieve a 41-25 win against Charles Barkley's "Team Chuck's Global Stars."

Boston Celtics' standout Tatum recorded 15 points, demonstrating a commanding performance in a starting lineup that also featured Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and James Harden.

Team Shaq faced a setback shortly before the game commenced when Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James withdrew due to a persistent foot and ankle injury.

Despite the absence of the 40-year-old James, the experienced lineup maintained control against a team led by Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Donovan Mitchell.

Curry was awarded the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game, marking the second occasion he has received this honor, having previously won it in 2022.

"It's a celebration of a lot of great things - to be able to play with these guys for as long as we have," Curry said after being handed his MVP award.

"It's our responsibility to come out and put on a show and I thank them for helping me do that," Curry added, gesturing to his teammates.

In response to increasing criticism regarding the traditional format of the All-Star game, the NBA introduced a new structure this year. The previous Eastern Conference versus Western Conference format was replaced with a four-team mini-tournament, each team overseen by basketball legends O'Neal, Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Candace Parker. Games were played to a first-to-40 points format, departing from the conventional four-quarter structure.

This year's revised format did not meet the expectations of all participants, including both fans and players. Draymond Green, Curry's teammate on the Golden State Warriors and serving as a television analyst for the event, criticized the competition during the broadcast on Sunday.

"You work all year to be an All-Star and you get to play up to 40 and then you're done. C'mon what are we doing? This is ridiculous," Green said. "This sucks. It ain't basketball."

Milwaukee's standout player Lillard expressed his support for the format following his contribution to O'Neal's team's successful triumph in the final on Sunday.

"I think they were just looking for a more competitive game and trying to find ways to create that," Lillard said.

"I thought tonight was a little bit more competitive than it had been the last few years. I think that was the number one thing - provide a bit of entertainment and a little bit more competitiveness on the floor and it felt like we did that tonight."

SportsLigue