Stop the NBA slander, appreciate the beautiful sport

If you hadn't noticed, it's open season for slanderers of the NBA. 

Be it fans, ex-players, coaches or even current players, everyone seems to be piling on to the negativity associated with the basketball league.

Here's a quick recap of the past week: First, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr ripped the league office for caring more about TV ratings than players' health. Then, Draymond Green called the modern game "very boring" and lacking in "substance" just days before the All-Star Game, the new format of which he ripped to shreds on national TV.

In between all that, some analysts called for the All-Star Game to be canceled due to the lack of effort put forth by players in recent years. And even after the All-Stars produced a competitive game — yes, they played defense — the pooh-poohers found stuff to nitpick about. 

Were the stoppages between games a bit much? Yes. Was Kevin Hart's presence a little annoying? No doubt. Yet, it cannot be denied that the All-Star Game was competitive — the NBA achieved its mission of getting players to care about an exhibition contest.

The All-Star Weekend is meant to be a celebration of the NBA, a showcase of stars and an opportunity to build storylines for the business end of the season. Instead, key stakeholders used the platform to spew negativity, possibly souring casual fans to the point of no return. 

Why wasn't there talk about the Cavaliers (44-10) being relevant for the first time since LeBron James' exit? Did anyone mention that the Thunder (44-10) were on pace to become the youngest team to clinch the No. 1 seed two years in a row? How about shining a light on the fact that 10 teams are over .500 in the West? Why not acknowledge that the league has never been this competitive in its 79-year history? 

Adam Silver has adopted a trial-and-error method in his tenure as commissioner, with his willingness to tinker with longstanding traditions. But he has done more good than harm for the NBA. The in-season tournament is a resounding success. The play-in tournament has added an intriguing new layer to the end of the season, giving a lot of fringe teams a shot to make the postseason. 

Silver will eventually nail the contentious All-Star format as well. The refreshing aspect is he's willing to own up to his gaffes and won't stop until he fixes what needs fixing. 

It's time to ease up on the slander and enjoy basketball.