Kevin Durant has had enough of the criticism surrounding the NBA All-Star Game, particularly the backlash over the 2025 edition of the event.
The 15-time All-Star took to social media on Monday to address the vocal complaints coming from both media and fans about the weekend’s activities.
Grand entrance! Shaquille O’Neal gets introduced at NBA All-Star Game escorted by a dog robot
Durant tells All-Star haters to “take a break”
The 2025 All-Star Game, which experimented with a new team format, received a fair share of negative feedback.
From complaints about the game’s structure to frustrations with an overabundance of Kevin Hart skits, it was clear that the event didn’t live up to everyone’s expectations.
Durant, who played on Shaquille O’Neal’s“OGs” team and won the mini-tournament, responded sharply to the criticism.
“I think it’s more fun to complain about the NBA than to actually watch it,” Durant wrote on social media.
“Crazy, cancel all-star weekend and let’s just give everybody a break since we’re so miserable around this time…”
Durant’s remarks come after the league tried to spice up the All-Star format by dividing the 24 selected players into three teams, drafted by TNT analysts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith.
The mini-tournament format aimed to bring more competitiveness, but fans weren’t convinced.
Durant himself had expressed his dislike for the new format even before the event, calling it “terrible.”
“I hate it,”Durant said back in December.
“All-Star Game formats changing, all the formats, it’s terrible in my opinion. We should just go back to East-West and play a game. I think we’ve been trying to bring that flair back somehow with All-Star weekend, but I think we should just keep it traditional.”
Despite his initial criticism, Durant didn’t shy away from the spotlight after the game.
Responding to fans who criticized the event, he doubled down on his frustration.
“Fans complain about EVERYTHING,” he added.
“Like nothing is good enough for the fans right now. Only thing they enjoy is playoffs, trade deadline, free agency, and when players beef with each other lol.”
Durant’s comments highlight the ongoing debate surrounding the All-Star Game.
While the NBA has made several attempts to revamp the event, including this year’s revised format, the challenge of meeting fan expectations remains a tough one.
Commissioner Adam Silver, however, remains open to feedback, acknowledging that criticism is a part of the process.
“I try to read it all, frankly,” Silver said.
“I think the state of the game is excellent. It’s perfectly appropriate to be critical of the game, and I find it very helpful.”
For now, Durant’s frustration with the critics seems to have captured the sentiment of many players, if the All-Star Game is so difficult to please, maybe it’s time to rethink the whole weekend.
