Sting playing halftime of the NBA All-Star Game went as expected

When the NBA announced that Sting would be the halftime entertainment at the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, many NBA fans wondered … well … why, exactly?

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Yes, Sting is a monstrously successful musician with tons of hits to his credit, but how does tapping a 64-year-old star of yesteryear who is from England and who hasn’t released an album since 2013 seem like a better fit for the NBA’s young audience than, say, Drake, a 29-year-old megastar of the moment who is from Toronto, who has had many hit records in the last couple of years and who was already going to be at Air Canada Centre? Maybe the idea is to appeal to older fans who might not necessarily already be tuning into the All-Star Game festivities on Sunday night/Valentine’s Day, but if they weren’t going to be tuning in anyway, well, why not double down on an act that’d be right down the middle for the already-dialed-in audience?

Well, whatever your stance on Sting’s selection was coming into Sunday, it is unlikely that what followed changed things. The 16-time Grammy Award winner took the stage rocking a full-on James Hardenian beard and played a medley of his hits, and sounded pretty great doing it, including “Desert Rose” and The Police jams “Message in a Bottle” and “Every Breath You Take”:

Sting killed it. That was outstanding.

Love that the NBA pandered to we old white people.

— Dan Bernstein (@dan_bernstein) February 15, 2016

As halftime shows go, I quite enjoyed Sting, which — demographically speaking — may be the issue.

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) February 15, 2016

… and, apparently, that didn’t really matter to many in attendance or watching at home:

Announcer: “Toronto! Give it up for Sting!!” Golf claps ensued

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 15, 2016

The atmosphere in the arena was just as flat as you imagined Sting at the All-Star game would be

— J.A. Adande (@jadande) February 15, 2016

That half time show was a sleeper #NBAAllStarTO #Sting

— Jeff Harris (@jeff_p_harris) February 15, 2016

Clearly not a Sting kinda crowd. He’s been reduced to waiting room music. You can hear the chatter in the arena

— Marcus Thompson (@ThompsonScribe) February 15, 2016

Just to recap: Drake dabbed and hugged (most) NBA players and we got Sting to perform at halftime instead. Cool.

— Marcus Vanderberg (@marcowill) February 15, 2016

Nothing says NBA action like the adult contemporary sounds of Sting.

— hal rudnick (@halrudnick) February 15, 2016

Sting is performing and there’s a bunch of kids dabbing in the crowd of people in front of him. He’s probably confused.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 15, 2016

The Sting demographic perfectly captured: the officiating crew was front row for the show, taking videos & everything. Proof on the Snapchat

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 15, 2016

He literally killed the energy in the building, yes. https://t.co/iU63rOjU9X

— Amin Elhassan (@AminESPN) February 15, 2016

Ok NBA who’s idea was it to have Sting perform the halftime show?!!!! People call them to Clear their stuff out Monday morning lol

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) February 15, 2016

No disrespect to Sting, but I thought Drake was an easy call for halftime performance..

— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) February 15, 2016

That seems to about cover it — yes, it was good, but no, it probably wasn’t for the audience assembled to watch it. Then again, as we get these jokes off, let us remember this and Crying Jordan ourselves:

ugh, sting, so uncool, he tweeted, at home watching the all star game halftime show on valentine’s day.

— Jason Gay (@jasongay) February 15, 2016

Ahem. Gotta hear both sides, and all that.

One thing that was an unqualified winner about the whole proceeding? New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony introducing Sting’s performance:

@freemaneric pic.twitter.com/e2l4ncZJm9

— Becca Laurie, PI (@imbeccable) February 15, 2016

Melo introducing Sting is the best moment in the history of the NBA.

— Eric Freeman (@freemaneric) February 15, 2016

I like to think Carmelo lost a Sting introduction-related bet

— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) February 15, 2016

Carmelo just introduced Sting like ISIS was behind the camera.

— Jensen Karp (@JensenClan88) February 15, 2016

Oh, man, Kristaps Porzingis is never going to let ‘Melo hear the end of this.

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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!

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