Bucks' Damian Lillard Reacts to Players 'Not Caring' About All-Star Game

Matt Levine | Feb 17, 2025

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The NBA All-Star Game has come and gone, with fans still not happy with how the game went down. The league changed the format of the game due to a lack of effort from the players over the past few years.

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People have accused players of not caring about the game which has led to some poor play on the court. Despite all the best players in the NBA being together, the product just hasn't been that great.

Milwaukee Bucks star guard Damian Lillard pushed back on this narrative, saying that the idea players don't care isn't accurate. Lillard reacted to this thought after the game.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of guys not caring. It’s just so much pressure on ‘this guy didn’t win (a championship),’ and they need to do this and do that. So we want to be our best for that. You don’t want to go out there and get hurt when there’s just really nothing on the line.”

Many players are looking ahead to the games after the All-Star break as that is their main focus. Some don't want to risk injury by trying in a game that means nothing and they would rather spend their energy preparing for the stretch run of the season.

When the teams return to play, it will be a race to the finish. The stars know this so they all want to make sure everything is in place to ensure the teams are in the best possible place for contention.

Lillard continued on his thoughts.

"The break is so deep into the season. We’ve only got less than 30 games left. So our bodies are constantly breaking down over the course of a long season. At this point, you’re coming to the break, you’re like, we’re trying to get to the playoffs healthy, you know?"

For the Bucks, they are currently sitting in fifth place within the Eastern Conference standings. It has been a grueling season for Milwaukee but the team is confident that if they can enter the postseason healthy, they will be able to contend.

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