SAN FRANCISCO – Let’s give Adam Silver and the NBA this much credit: They’re trying, at least, to salvage the NBA All-Star Game.

This isn’t an easy task. The All-Star Game and its constellation of events haven’t been a consistently culturally relevant or successful sporting event for a long time. The NHL canceled its own All-Star Game this year, and the NFL’s Pro Bowl is so meaningless you may have missed its very existence a couple of weeks ago.

But the slow, tortured demise of the NBA’s version feels particularly painful because of what has been lost. This weekend used to matter – from the Slam Dunk Contest, to the storylines that bubbled up, to the game itself.

Historical Significance

There was a time when this was a marquee moment for the sport, an engine for the NBA to sell itself to the public, and a showcase for hoops liberated from the NFL’s nearly year-round dominance.

Now it’s a dud.

The recent versions have barely risen above the increasing din in American life, where breaking through is much, much harder than it was a decade or two ago. Even if it is – and has not been – a compelling product.

The league has tried many things to reverse the decline. There was the Elam ending for the main game. There was having captains pick their team, regardless of conference affiliation. Blake Griffin once jumped over a car.

But the decline has continued. Recent games have ended in final scores that made a farce of the idea of this being an actual, hard-fought, you-must-watch competition: 211-186, 184-175, 163-160, 170-150 …

Competitiveness Issues

A team hasn’t been held to less than 140 points since 2013, when the East had 138. And they lost.

Take the Slam Dunk Contest. It has shriveled on the vine, shifting from a cultural force to something almost awkward in its awfulness. With all respect to Mac McClung, winner of the last two Slam Dunk Contests, if he’s one of the faces of your All-Star Game weekend, you’re in big trouble.

Despite NBA efforts, the event continues to struggle with audience engagement, and excitement levels have dipped.

This upcoming weekend presents a fresh format that may reinvigorate interest in the All-Star Game, featuring teams led by prominent players and a rising stars challenge.

Expectations are high that emerging talents like Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can lead to a future where the All-Star Game regains its importance.