The festivities during NBA All-Star Saturday no longer put butts in seats like they used to.
During a weekend that was supposed to highlight the NBA’s brightest stars and young talent, the headline for most was how empty the arena was during NBA All-Star Saturday, which features the three-point shootout and slam dunk contest.
Photos and videos taken during Saturday’s events spread across social media, with many pointing out that there were far more empty seats than those occupied by screaming fans.
Oh my God the arena is EMPTY 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/lRyxsCTdma
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) February 14, 2026
That Arena crowd looks so empty… pic.twitter.com/bkmS7ZSMWW
— 𝕂𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕜 🏀✨ (@HoodiKodak) February 14, 2026
The Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., tried to conceal the poor attendance with bright LED lights that lit up every seat. But some felt the lights highlighted the lack of fans more than anything.
Even the all star game has that optical illusion the Rumble had….the LED lights just makes the arena look empty.
— SanchoWest (@SanchoWest) February 14, 2026
pic.twitter.com/fI69H9AA6V
Yes, All Star Saturday was shockingly empty inside the arena.@Eisenberg43 just made a tremendous suggestion for All Star:
— Chase Jordan (@goatcollect) February 15, 2026
1 on 1 Tournament.
This is actually taking off in the underground world. Pay per view online streaming numbers are off the charts. pic.twitter.com/Kcmp987BQF
It didn’t help that the night’s main event, the dunk contest, was devoid of any star power. Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson won the event with a forgettable performance, besting a laughable effort from Jaxson Hayes and a near-injury-inducing attempt from Jase Richardson.
Tickets to watch the NBA All-Star Saturday cost hundreds of dollars, and it’s no surprise that fans weren’t willing to shell out funds to get through the Intuit Dome gate. The NBA would have been better served by distributing those tickets for free to fans off the street or elementary school kids who probably would have been cheering their hearts out.
