Casey: Team LeBron wants to 'change the narrative' that ASGs are sideshows
LOS ANGELES - When the NBA and the players' union agreed to abandon the 66-year-old tradition of All-Star Games pitting West vs. East for a draft-style format, a key component of the change was making the mid-February showcase a more competitive spectacle.
Whether Team LeBron and Team Stephen fulfill that desire Sunday night in Los Angeles remains to be seen, but one thing Saturday's media session made clear was that Team LeBron has the right coach for the job.
"Those are the first words I said in our team meeting. We want to be competitive. We want to change the narrative that All-Star Games are just a sideshow," Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said.
Casey, whose Raptors lead the Eastern Conference with a 41-16 record, will be coaching against the Houston Rockets' Mike D'Antoni on Sunday night as Toronto's first-ever All-Star coaching representative.
"Let's go out there and compete," Casey reiterated.
"Let's play fundamental defense, transition defense, and if you don't want to play, let me know. I won't call you out or anything like that. I'll just play the guys that are gonna compete. If guys are hurt or tired or whatever, I understand, but let's come out and represent the NBA and play the right way - play competitive. And I don't want to get anybody hurt, but we need to change the narrative of what the NBA All-Star Game stands for - not just 'I'll let you drive in for the layup' or behind the back shot or behind the back pass, or whatever, and make it a circus.
"We represent fundamentals. The AAU coaches are watching us. High school coaches are watching us. Coaches around the world are watching us. If they see that, they think, 'OK, that's what basketball should be,' and that's not the case."
Last year's All-Star Game finished with an absurd 191-182 scoreline in favor of the West, leaving many fans, pundits, and legends chiding the lack of competitive fire remaining in the annual exhibition.
In response, while the All-Star selection process remained mostly intact, the 24 All-Stars (12 from each conference) were divided among two teams in a schoolyard-style draft between LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who earned team captain honors as the leading vote-getters in their respective conferences.
The league also announced it would give $350,000 to a charity of the winning team's choice, while the losing All-Star team will receive $150,000 for charity.
"I don't know if it's going to change all in one year, but I think the message going forward, choosing the players, how the players are selected, Adam is making a point of 'we want the All-Star Game to be more competitive,'" Casey said Saturday.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with asking the players to do that. They've upped the amount they're giving to charity, which is the most important thing, so let's have some pride and play the game to win and make it competitive without getting injured."