NBA's rising stars intent on raising ASG's 'competitive spirit' - ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS — The NBA's next generation recognizes that the All-Star game isn't what it once was and knows that they can be the players to do something about it.

«I think the only thing we can do is just go out there and just play like a real game,» Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 pick by the Portland Trail Blazers last year, told ESPN after practice for the Rising Stars game on Friday. «I think the All-Star Game and All-Star in general is just looked at like fun and games, but I think the fans, they want to see a competitive spirit.

»And there's been sparks like that in the game in recent years but I think all that we can do as young guys coming up is try to continue to have that competitive edge."

Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, the No. 5 pick in the 2022 draft, echoed the hope that this weekend's festivities would begin to turn things around from a competitive standpoint.

«I think things are going to hopefully be different this year — we're going to see people competing at a higher level,» Ivey told ESPN. «It's something that I know a lot of people want to see. That competitiveness and desire to win and not just treating it as a practice game. Just really taking it to another level. I know we all want to feel that. Even myself, I want to take it to another level this year with my competitiveness.»

Last year's All-Star game, a 184-175 win for Team Giannis over Team LeBron in Salt Lake City was widely panned for its lack of intensity, defense and overall care factor from the players.

«We get it, like, nobody was happy about the experience last year, no one at all,» NBA commissioner Adam Silver admitted as a guest on JJ Redick's podcast in November.

While scoring has increased across the league in recent seasons, the