Anthony Edwards says what no fan wants to hear about the All-Star Game

Let's be honest, the NBA All-Star Game is a joke. It doesn't matter how many formats the league tries -- the game is broken beyond repair. During media availability on Saturday, Anthony Edwards essentially confirmed this. 

When asked if there will be anymore effort in this year's All-Star Game or if it is what it is at this point, Edwards simply replied, "Yeah, it is what it is at this point." 

Likewise, when Edwards was asked if the USA vs. World format could duplicate the intensity of the Olympics in any way, he replied, "No."  

Props to Ant-Man for keeping it real with his response. Regardless, these comments are exactly what fans don't want to hear, and it all but guarantees we'll have another forgettable All-Star Game. 

Anthony Edwards' All-Star Game comments are disappointing but not surprising

While Edwards' comments are a letdown, they are far from a shocker. Outside of the 2020 All-Star Game, which was the first year of a "target score" and the third year of team captains, every All-Star Game in recent memory has been forgettable (at best), and it's clear that players are putting forth minimal effort. 

After six years of the captain format, the NBA switched back to East vs. West for a year, and the results were disastrous, so they went to a mini-tournament. And now, they are trying out an international vs. USA format in hopes of sparking some legitimate competition. 

In theory, the new format sounds like a good idea, as players will be more likely to play with some sense of pride. Yet, a three-team round-robin tournament is illogical and difficult even for die-hard fans to follow. Even with the extra motivation of representing your country, it would be shocking if we see a sizable uptick in effort, and Edwards' comments confirm this. 

Adam Silver and the NBA are grasping at straws to find ways to improve the All-Star Game. I honestly appreciate Silver's effort and willingness to make changes. Nevertheless, the All-Star Game might simply be a lost cause. It's a pointless exhibition game that's truly targeted at a younger audience, and once players stop caring, it's really hard to change that. 

At the end of the day, players don't want to play during their break, which is something Edwards mentioned two years ago. The NBA will likely look for new ways to add excitement to the All-Star Game after this year's format inevitably flops. However, I don't think there's any realistic solution to get players to care about a meaningless game. 

This is an unfortunate reality for fans to accept, as we all have fond memories of the All-Star Game in the past -- but when you hear comments like this from one of the league's brightest young stars, it's hard to think anything else.