Has the 3-point revolution gone too far? This is one of the biggest questions sweeping the basketball landscape in recent weeks and months, especially in the NBA. Many would answer “yes,” and it appears Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is in that camp.
James spoke to reporters Thursday afternoon before the Lakers’ game against the Sacramento Kings and was asked about changes to the All-Star Game. which will now feature a mini-tournament between four teamsincluding one made up of players from the Rising Stars challenge. His response isn’t limited to his thoughts on the All-Star Game.
“Something had to change,” James said. “I wasn’t on the committee. It’s different, but I don’t know. We’ll see. We’ll see when we get there. It’s different. Obviously any time you make a change, there will be ( blowback).I don’t know. I have my ideas about what might work, but I’m not going to do that. We have to do something. The last two years haven’t been a great all-star game. this Sunday night.
“But look, it’s a bigger conversation. It’s not just the All-Star Game, it’s our game in general. Our game, there’s a lot of fucking 3s that get shot. It’s so a bigger conversation than just All—-ing 3s.
There is no debate about the number of 3-pointers this season.
The Boston Celtics are averaging 51.1 attempts per game and are on pace to surpass the single-season record of 3,721 attempts set by the Houston Rockets in 2018-19. In the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Charlotte Hornets on December 13, the two teams set a record by missing a combined total of 75 3s. A few days later, in the Dallas Mavericks’ win over the Golden State Warriors on the 15th. December, both teams set a record by making a total of 48 3s.
Whether this is a problem is another question. At the very least, there is a portion of the NBA fan base and, judging by James’ comments, maybe the players too, who are tired of seeing so many 3s.
Earlier this month, a clip from the Phoenix Suns’ win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 26, which showed the two teams trading nine missed 3s in two minutes, went viral on social media. “Why don’t you watch the NBA anymore? This is why,” the caption read. As of this writing, it has over 10 million views.
The NBA took note, but Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this week in Las Vegas that he “wouldn’t reduce this to a so-called 3-point shooting problem.” Silver acknowledged that the league would “look more holistically” at concerns about the style of play and fan reaction, but stressed that he thinks the game is in a “great place.”
“I love watching the games and I think we have some of the most talented athletes in the world,” Silver said. “And it’s unfair, I think, for players to lump them into categories like 3-point shooters, mid-range shooters or big players playing under the basket. It’s an incredible game. That said , we are constantly discussing whether there are ways to stylistically improve the game on the field.”
