The NBA All-Star Game features the best players in the league. Seeing the best players in the world show off their skills with open-court dunks and threes against little to no defense is a sight to behold, but that isn’t always the case. Given that the NBA All-Star Game has no bearing on the regular season, there are evident moments of lack of effort from its players, making it a glorified pick-up game. For this piece, let’s take a look at the 10 worst NBA All-Star Games ever.

10. 2012

Although it was a tight affair, the 2012 NBA All-Star Game made the list primarily because we witnessed a rare injury in the All-Star game. During the game, Dwyane Wade unintentionally broke Kobe Bryant’s nose.

On top of that, LeBron James passed up a pair of potential game-winning shots, resulting in the West escaping with a 152-149 victory over the East.

9. 2009

The Eastern All-Stars didn’t even lift a finger in this one aside from LeBron James, who emerged as the only player to reach 20 in a game that basically offered no defense. As a result, the Western All-Stars trashed the East in a lopsided 146-119 victory. However, fans can take solace that this was the last game Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal played as teammates. The duo earned co-MVPs for this NBA All-Star Game.

8. 1953

Recently, fans complained about the lack of effort and competitiveness in the All-Star festivities. In 1953, the All-Star Game was competitive. However, it also produced the worst shooting performance by both teams in All-Star game history. Although the game was tight with the West beating the East 79-75, both teams combined for the worst field goal percentage in All-Star history: just 36% from the field. Moreover, the East’s 75 total points also held the record for the lowest in the event.

7. 2015

A lack of competitiveness was evident in 2015. Although Russell Westbrook scored 41 points and took MVP honors, the game delivered little defense. The West defeated the East, 163-158, in a game with more than 320 points. Furthermore, the East was composed of many Atlanta Hawks players: Kyle Korver, Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, and Al Horford.

6. 2016

A year later, it was another case of a lack of defense and competitiveness. As in 2015, Russell Westbrook was named All-Star Game MVP, his second straight award. Given the absence of defense, both teams combined for a record-breaking 286 shot attempts. To make matters worse, the game was lopsided with the West breaking away for a 196-173 victory. The 196 points set the record for the most points by an NBA All-Star team.

5. 2017

For the third straight NBA All-Star Game, it was the same story. Russell Westbrook scored 41 points, while Anthony Davis wrecked havoc by exploding for a record of 52 points. The West dropped more than 190 points again, setting the record for most field goals made. Despite the records, fans were already numb to the lack of competitiveness in the NBA All-Star Game. As a result, this was the last time the NBA showcased an East versus West format.

4. 1966

Given that it’s an exhibition game, fans want to see players perform well. However, that wasn’t the case for the Western All-Stars in 1966. In the game, the West made only 35 out of 120 shot attempts for a measly 29% in the game, which set the record for the lowest field goal percentage by a team. Moreover, Rick Barry emerged as the lone All-Star starter to finish with double-figure scoring in the game. The East took advantage by taking a dominant 137-94 victory.

3. 2019

The 2018 game brought some excitement due to a new All-Star format. Although 2018 showed more competitiveness and injected new life to the event, 2019 showed once again how a lack of competitiveness can turn off NBA fans. After Team Giannis raced to a commanding 16-point lead in the first quarter, the team suddenly stopped playing competitive basketball in the second half, allowing Team LeBron to take a lopsided 178-164 win.

2. 2007

The 2007 NBA All-Star Game was respectable. Kobe Bryant dropped 31 points en route to his second All-Star Game MVP honor. However, this event was one of the worst in recent memory, not for the game that was played but due to the chaos that ensued during the event. The event was played in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Although the game itself was well-received, local police forces lost control as people were shot, fights ensued, and 400 individuals were arrested over the course of the weekend surrounding the event.

1. 1992

Although it was a great sight to see Magic Johnson finally make his return to the NBA hardwood after retiring due to HIV-AIDS, the game was absolutely lopsided favoring the West. Magic Johnson dominated the game with 25 points and nine assists to take All-Star Game MVP honors. However, the Eastern All-Stars were hardly a good match. Despite being led by Michael Jordan, the East shot only 51 out of 117 as a team. Moreover, the East All-Stars barely got any help from the bench resulting in a 40-point drubbing at the hands of the West. It's one of the worst NBA All-Star Games simply because of the final margin