P.K. Subban may not have named names, but it certainly sounded like he was calling out LeBron James and other NBA All-Stars during a passionate rant.
The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off was created to pit some of the biggest stars in hockey against each other through an international tournament, but it’s unexpectedly morphed into an NHL vs NBA competition. NHL players have entertained sports fans by going all out for their home countries, while NBA players were barely going through the motions to survive its All-Star Game without having to exert much effort or energy.
As the NBA unsuccessfully attempts to resuscitate its All-Star Game, the NHL is playing captivating hockey causing fans and the media to now, perhaps unfairly, compare the two.
Earlier this week, Subban went on ESPN’s Get Up and torched NBA players for not prioritizing their All-Star Game. And Thursday morning, Subban doubled down on First Take, questioning why athletes who don’t give max effort are celebrated.
“I’m sick and tired of making athletes greats, all-time greats that aren’t the best examples! Those are the people that we want our kids to follow.” – P.K. Subban pic.twitter.com/b6XX0juZlf
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 20, 2025
“What are you playing for? If you’re really about sports, then you’re about two things, your teammates and the fans. And I’m sorry, it doesn’t matter how much money you’re making, when you do not show up to play, you’re letting your teammates down. When you do not show up to play, you’re letting the fans down that are paying you 40, 50, 60 million,” Subban ranted. “These people in here are paying $2500 a ticket, five grand, that are blue-collar, hardworking people.
“If you don’t get your head wrapped around that, you shouldn’t be in sports. Because how are we gonna grow? How do we expect you to be an example. Well guess what, you don’t want to be? You are one. You’re on the biggest stage. You’re an example. You got to show up. You got to take that on. I’m sick and tired of making athletes greats, all-time greats, that aren’t the best examples! Those are the people that we want our kids to follow. That we want athletes to follow.”
The most notable NBA player who did not show up was LeBron James, opting to sit out the All-Star Game hours before it tipped off. James was widely criticized for bowing out so late, despite having started 20 consecutive All-Star games prior to this year’s.
P.K. Subban may not have intended for this rant to be a shot at James, but it certainly can be perceived that way. There is no defending what happened to the NBA All-Star Game. The NBA has an All-Star Game problem, it also has a load management problem. But it’s disingenuous to act like the NHL All-Star Game wasn’t starting to fall off too. The fall wasn’t as much as what the NBA has experienced, but the NHL All-Star Game has not enjoyed the same level of physicality and competitiveness that fans are getting out of the 4 Nations Face-Off.
This year, the NHL found something that works. Maybe the NBA can learn from it, but that doesn’t mean it’s fair to compare an international competition with a glorified exhibition game. And as far as legacies are concerned, fans will continue to prioritize championships and playoff success much more than All-Star games. Still, Subban has a point. LeBron might not be the problem, but fans want to feel like it’s worthwhile to invest their time and money into watching an NBA game. And currently, they’re not able to depend on NBA players to follow through consistently enough.
