Kobe for sure, but tbf Wade was right there with LeBron pioneering the ish that was on display last night. Prior to banana-boat gang taking the reigns as the premiere stars, it was semi-competitive thru 3 quarters before getting intense in the 4th, but there was a shift in the late-00s/early10s where it was more clear the runway and have everyone take turns doing whatever.
I actually give young KD some credit because he was at least trying to go 1v1s with LeBron like old Kobe was, but Bron wasn't having it. Then the 3pt era kicked off, and we got the final form we see today. What sorta worked at the time, even if briefly, was 2020's target score format. The concept of it mitigates the incentive to horseshyt around indefinitely since there's only so many scoring possessions you get. And as a hooper, it brings about a bit more focus compared to a running clock.
2020 was probably the best/most intense all star game we had in over a decade. In real time the coli was super hyped. But all that momentum has long since grinded to a halt.
