"I've never been an All-Star Game type of guy, to, like, take it seriously and go out there and try to guard somebody and get a stop," Edwards said. "I've never been that type of guy. I just save it for the Timberwolves season, pretty much."

San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama made his stance clear for the past couple of weeks after getting picked. He was going to play hard, and did, even trying to lock down Kyrie Irving — one of the game's premier ball handlers — out on the wing during one possession in the final.

"It felt like there were high stakes in the game," Wembanyama said. "It was better than expected. I think the format worked really well."

One part of the whole show that didn't resonate with viewers was the title game being stopped to pay tribute to TNT and its four decades of NBA broadcasting, with some saying they would have preferred that it take place between games.

Agencies via Xinhua