LeBron James on All-Star Game format: 'Something had to change' - ESPN

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — LeBron James is set to become the NBA's all-time leader in regular-season minutes played Thursday back in the same city where he logged his first when the Los Angeles Lakers play the Sacramento Kings.

It will be another accomplishment in a career teeming with them for the four-time MVP, four-time champion and 20-time All-Star who also happens to be the league's all-time leading scorer.

But James, 39, was not in a celebratory mood after Lakers shootaround Thursday morning. Rather, when asked about the announced changes for the All-Star Game format in February, James lamented the state of the league.

«It's not just the All-Star Game. It's our game in general,» James said. «There's a lot of f---ing 3s being shot. So it's a bigger conversation than just the All-Star Game.»

NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed criticism aimed at the increase in 3-point volume this week ahead of the NBA Cup championship on Tuesday.

«The answer is yes, [we are having] many discussions about the style of basketball [being played],» Silver said. «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 the offense, the fan reception to the game, all of the above.»

To offer some perspective as to just how much the 3-point shot has become a staple for NBA offenses, the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors averaged 31.6 3-point attempts per game — No. 1 in the league — en route to a 73-9 record. They would rank 29th this season, with only the Denver Nuggets attempting fewer per game (30.4). The defending champion Boston Celtics are first, averaging 51.1 3-point attempts per game, which would shatter the previous team records for 3-point attempts