Matt Steinmetz: All-Star weekend, which begins Friday in Philadelphia, is another example of what's wrong with the NBA. It is the league's annual statement that_despite its lame claims to the contrary_the individual is greater than the team and showmanship and style are right up there with winning and losing.

The game itself is a joke. Its outcome, meaningless. At least in Major League Baseball, winning is something each team would like to do. The NL's dominance of the AL in the 1970s and `80s was a source of pride for NL players and gave anyone who cared enough evidence of that league's superiority. As for the NBA All-Star Game, who can even remember who won last year's game?