Kyrie Irving holds the blueprint to finally fixing the NBA All-Star Game

With the 2025 NBA All-Star weekend officially a wrap, the Dallas Mavericks have a few days of rest to catch up and unwind when it comes to their injury problem.

Somehow, the Mavericks have been able to be above .500 with all of their issues from this season.

Every Mavs fan would probably be content with taking a break from watching Dallas basketball this season, following what's been the strangest month in franchise history, from trading away Luka Doncic to protests in the stands.

The All-Star break made for its own separate headlines, but for superstar point guard Kyrie Irving, he made a statement as to what the All-Star game should actually become.

Kyrie Irving just proved the All-Star Game doesn't have to be a joke

Irving came out on top as a champion of the All-Star game, playing for Shaquille O'Neal winning against Charles Barkley's team.

During the game, the event itself was criticized for lack of competition and endless advertisements. However, Irving set a tone that only very few showed during All-Star weekend, and it should be the standard moving forward from here on out.

This was one of the best plays of the game. Irving throws the ball off the backboard to feed himself for an emphatic jam.

These are the kinds of plays that fans expect to see instead of players going only 50 percent on the court. It's not expected to see them go at 100 percent the whole game, but some finesse and effort to the All-Star game is what we all want to see.

Irving also came in with a purpose and a chip on his shoulder. He attended the game as an All-Star replacement for Anthony Davis. Many had thought Irving was snubbed by not getting selected to begin with, but it didn't matter, as he was playing hard for his own pride on the court.

It could be argued that Irving's competitive fire matched that of San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, as Wembanyama went on record before the weekend to say that he meant business, and was not there to make friends.

While Irving wasn't quite as gruff as Wembanyama, Irving still presented a series of great plays during his contests. His defense was on par too, making Irving one of the more likable guys who played during All-Star weekend. He is one of the most loved players in the NBA by his peers, and him setting this high standard in All-Star Games moving forward could lead to other players trying harder as well.

In terms of the format being played, that might be another never-ending discussion in terms of how the NBA will go about the All-Star Game in the future, but we can admit that we need more competitive spirit, and guys like Irving and Wembanyama did just that.