All-Star Game doesn't sparkle like it should

Welcome to the NBA All-Star Game, the annual assembly of the league's elite, a game that every NBA player hopes to be selected to play in — but few, it seems, actually want to play in any more.

Of course, Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams is one possible exception to the rule.

D-Will was chosen by the coaches as a reserve for the Western Conference team that will square off against their Eastern Conference counterparts tonight in Dallas — Williams' hometown — at Cowboys Stadium, where the biggest basketball crowd in history (between 80,000 and 90,000) will be on hand to watch what has become a dunkfest devoid of much defense.

And, contrary to the seemingly couldn't-care-less attitudes of some stars, Williams does want to be there and aims to prove he belongs there, especially because he was snubbed in the All-Star selection process over the past couple of years when he could've (and probably should've) been chosen to play.

There was a time when the NBA All-Star Game held great interest and was a source of tremendous pride for Jazz fans.

After all, Karl Malone (14 times) and John Stockton (10) earned a couple of dozen All-Star selections between them.

And, fittingly, they shared the game's MVP award in 1993, when the All-Star Game was played on their home court at the Delta Center (now EnergySolutions Arena). Malone was also named the All-Star MVP in 1989.

But nowadays, really, does anybody but the most ardent Jazz/NBA fan care about the game any more? Let's face it, if Williams wasn't going to play, would anybody in Utah even bother to watch tonight's game? Sure, some of the game's greatest players will be there — LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, etc.

But some of them — Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy (all injured) — won't. And, thankfully, some others who were selected (Allen Iverson, personal reasons) or were almost voted in (Tracy McGrady) and definitely didn't deserve to be playing in it won't be there, either.

The NBA All-Star Weekend has become a mixed bag of events that can be highly competitive (the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge), at times a little goofy (the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Shootout), often tired and worn out (the Slam Dunk Contest), curiously amusing (the Celebrity Game) and equally brilliant but boring (the All-Star Game itself).