It’s not every day you see an NBA superstar look completely unbothered in the presence of Kevin Hart’s full-court antics. But somehow, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pulled it off with a nonchalant, laid-back expression such that it had fans buzzing. While the All-Star Game, already a chaotic mix of confusing formats and over-the-top entertainment, was doing that, SGA’s reaction to Hart became one of the unexpected highlights. 

This was notable when Hart turned his high-energy antics toward Gilgeous-Alexander, commenting, “SGA get the ball, do work, clear it out – do what you do… you wore the mustard color sneakers. Make the mustard colors work.” The Thunder star wasn’t having any of it. Instead of playing along, SGA gave him the kind of look you reserve for someone who’s just said something completely ridiculous, but you can’t spare them any second of your energy; as he could be seen saying, “Wrap it up! We have a game!”. No laughs, no reaction—just peak ‘let’s move on’ energy.

The NBA All-Star Weekend had its fair share of problems. One of the biggest? The overwhelming presence of Kevin Hart. This year, the league decided to shake things up with a brand-new format—splitting the All-Star roster into three separate teams and throwing in the Rising Stars squad to battle it out in a four-team tournament. Sounds interesting on paper, but in reality? Let’s just say it didn’t exactly win fans over.

Fans did not go easy on Kevin Hart

Within minutes the floodgates burst open the moment SGA’s clip hit social media, and fans wasted no time roasting the entire spectacle. Instagram lit up with reactions ranging from sheer disappointment to flat-out frustration. 

One fan summed it up: “Kevin Hart added absolutely nothing to the broadcast except stalling the game.” Another chimed in with, “Y’all still thinking this man funny?”—a brutal reality check for Hart’s All-Star reign. 

The sentiment was echoed by another user who bluntly stated, “Next time don’t invite this guy.” And perhaps the most telling critique? “Too much negativity and making fun of the players on their special night. This wasn’t supposed to be a roast.” While Hart was supposed to be a prominent piece throughout the event, his comedy bits certainly felt misplaced. 

You could tell Shai wasn’t feeling Hart’s commentary from the jump. Even before the game tipped off, he hit Hart with a comically savage fake handshake, leaving the comedian awkwardly laughing at his own embarrassment. 

Classic SGA—cool, calm, and completely unfazed, whether he’s on the court or casually dodging forced comedy. It was the perfect prelude to the note-worthy moment that would later steal the show.

With a tournament format that fell flat and a broadcast overloaded with unnecessary distractions, the frustration was apparent with the fans. “Kevin heart plus the ads just made this terrible I don’t dislike Kevin but he added nothing but annoyingness to this”, a user commented. 

However, it wasn’t limited to just the spectators—it spilled onto the court, too. Jaylen Brown, clearly fed up with the constant game stoppages, didn’t hold back. At one point, he turned to the cameras and bluntly said, “Get them out of here,” perfectly capturing what everyone watching at home was already thinking— a sentiment captured by yet another user: “Presentation was terrible – they had Kevin Hart making garbage roasts, the NBA on TNT crew giving themselves a gold medal mid game, and the Mr. beast fiasco – what a joke”

All-Star Weekend has been losing its magic for a while now—ratings, effort, and overall fan enthusiasm have been trending down. While the official numbers aren’t out yet, social media reactions tell the real story. Fans weren’t impressed. If the NBA doesn’t fix this soon, this “new and improved” format will end up just like the last—forgettable, uninspired, and something die-hard basketball fans won’t bother tuning in for.