All-Star Notes: Wembanyama, Doncic, Jokic, Brown, Tanking

Victor Wembanyama‘s commitment to bringing intensity back to the All-Star Game is a positive step toward making him the next face of the NBA, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Wembanyama figures to be a regular participant in the event over the next 10-15 years, so it’s beneficial to the league that he genuinely cares about it.

“I’ve always thought to myself that if I was in there, I’m never stepping onto the court to lose or not (care),” Wembanyama said. “Just like at home, I’m never stepping into a board game not caring if I’m going to lose. So I’m thinking it’s (not) OK to lose, so I’m going to be out there, I might as well win.”

One of the dilemmas the league is facing is that long-time stars such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are nearing the end of their careers and no obvious replacements have emerged who resonate the same way in the public consciousness. Wembanyama, who’s already an international sensation at age 22, is becoming the top candidate to fill that role.

“I am part of something. I’m part of a big-picture mechanism,” he said after Sunday’s games. “I think that, right now, it’s an era of very skilled bigs that this position is definitely evolving. Am I a symptom of that? Yes, because I’ve watched these guys growing up and got inspired by that. Am I participating in the change? I think I am. I’m pushing the boundaries in some way.”

There’s more from All-Star Weekend:

• In a post-game interview, Anthony Edwards expressed disappointment that Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic didn’t see more court time (Twitter video link). The Team World stars, who have both dealt with recent injuries, came out after 5:05 in the first game and didn’t return. “No shade towards Luka and Jokic, but like they two of the best players in the league they not trying to play in the All Star game,” Edwards said.
• During Saturday’s interview session, Jaylen Brown expressed interest in becoming a UFC fighter or a boxer after his basketball career is over, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “To be honest, I’ve toyed with this, and I’ve talked to some people,” Brown said. “Maybe in the post-career part of my life, I would love to partake in something like the UFC or even boxing. I’ve talked to (UFC president) Dana White about some stuff. We’ll see how things go.”
• Finding a solution to the rampant tanking problem was among the most frequent topics of conversation at All-Star Weekend, according to The Athletic staff.