With the whole world watching the All-Star game on Sunday night, an 18-year-old did the impossible. Jaren Barajas stepped onto the All-Star stage, went head-to-head with Damian Lillard in a three-point contest, and somehow walked away with $100,000. Wild, right? Lillard needed to knock down three deep logo shots to win. Barajas? Just one.

Well, it’s not like Barajas is going to get drafted now. And it did seem like Dame missed the last shot on purpose. Why? Maybe he’s afraid of the media torching him. Dame Dolla was the winner of the past two 3-point competitions and was looking to three-peat but he got eliminated in the first round.

A video of him yawning before the competition went viral, and people trolled him extensively. Lillard pointed to the relentless media pressure as a major reason why some players take it easy during All-Star Weekend. The focus, he explained, is always on winning championships, making the risk of injury in a meaningless game not worth it.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of guys not caring,” Lillard said speaking to the The Athletic. “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.”

The Bucks star believes the NBA’s fast-paced style is taking a toll on players, making the All-Star break more about recovery than competition. With the season winding down, the focus shifts to staying healthy rather than putting on a show. “The game is faster. I think that’s why we’re seeing more injuries happening,” the 8 All-star said. “The style of play, I think, is just wearing on guys’ bodies.”

With less than 30 games left, players are prioritizing the bigger picture. “At this point, you’re coming to the break, you’re like, we’re trying to get to the playoffs healthy, you know?” Lillard added. With narratives constantly shifting based on rings, players prioritize the bigger picture. Lillard’s words highlight the growing debate over whether the All-Star Game still holds value for today’s stars. But he still has some suggestions for the next one.

Damian Lillard suggests an “All-Snub Team”

The NBA’s latest attempt to fix the All-Star Game didn’t go as planned. Fans weren’t feeling it, and honestly, neither were the players. Damian Lillard made that clear in a conversation with Rachel Nichols, pushing for a return to the traditional East vs. West format. He even suggested swapping out the Rising Stars for an “All-Snub” team.

“Dame Lillard wants to go back to an East-West All-Star game, says he’d be fine with home court in the Finals being on the line. Alternately, he says if this format stays, maybe an ‘All-Snub’ team would be better as the 4th team instead of the Rising Stars.”

The league introduced a four-team tournament—three All-Star squads and one Rising Stars team—hoping to inject some energy into the game. But instead of fixing the problem, it gave players another excuse to take it easy. Draymond Green wasn’t having it, arguing that including the Rising Stars cheapens the honor of being named an All-Star.

Commissioner Adam Silver even spoke to players beforehand, urging them to compete harder. But let’s be real—it didn’t work. The game still lacked intensity, leaving fans frustrated once again.

At this point, format changes won’t fix anything. The real issue? Players aren’t taking the game seriously. Unless the NBA puts real stakes on the line, fans will keep tuning out. It’s time for the league to figure out what actually matters to these guys—because clearly, this ain’t it.