LeBron James doesn’t understand either.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar announced the NBA’s plan to host an All-Star Game next month, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the destruction it has already caused in the league’s calendar.
He called it “slap in the face”.
James wins NBA plan for All-Star Game
James talked about the game on Thursday after the initial round of voting results and amid reports that the game would be played. The NFL, which was hosting its Pro Bowl last week, got fans to vote for the players, but organized a virtual event.
The results of the first round of fan voting for the All-Stars were announced on Thursday. Brooklyn Nets striker Kevin Durant defeated James in the general vote.
“I have neither the energy nor the excitement for an All-Star game this year,” said James after a 114-93 victory over the Denver Nuggets at home. “I don’t even understand why we are having an All-Star game. But it is the agreement that arose the association of players and the league. “
The two sides agreed to host the game on March 7 in Atlanta, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. In a normal season, the game would have been played last week.
Details have yet to be finalized, but there are reports that the league will allow players to withdraw, unlike previous years. There are also reports that the sides are discussing a skills competition.
The Hawks started allowing fans to enter the arena on January 26 and this is where James found “Courtside Karen”. Georgia lifted restrictions early in the pandemic and currently has no travel restrictions. The risk of COVID-19 in the state is very high, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
James: Holding the game with a ‘slap in the face’
James’ main concern with the event is that he told players before the season that the game would not take place.
“[It was a] enjoy offseason for me and my 71-day-old companions, ”said James. “And at the beginning of the season, we were told that we wouldn’t have the All-Star Games, so we had a short break. Five days of [March] From 5 to 10, an opportunity for me to kind of recalibrate for the second half of the season. My teammates too, some guys from the league. Then they play an All-Star game on us like this and it just breaks everything. So, practically just a slap in the face. “
The NBA went on hiatus on March 11, 2020, because of COVID-19. The league completed its season in a bubble at Disney World in early July. The Lakers won the title on October 11 and returned to the training ground in early December.
The slightly shortened season started on December 22. It is a shortened schedule to what is standard in the NBA, but not uncommon for other professional basketball players who are expected to play all year.
NBA tries to hold the game during pandemic
The NBA appears to be contradicting its own updated guidelines for hosting the event. After an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases within the NBA and more games postponed, the league redefined its policies to help contain the spread in mid-January.
This did not go unnoticed by James.
“We are also still dealing with a pandemic, still dealing with everything that is going on,” he said. “And we are going to bring the entire league to a city that is open, so obviously the pandemic has absolutely nothing to do with it right now, when it comes to that weekend. Obviously, you can see that I am not very happy about it, but it is beyond my reach. And I will be there if selected. But I will be there physically, but not mentally. “
The new rules include players who can no longer leave hotels for activities unrelated to the team and players who stay inside their homes, unless there is an essential activity or emergency.
Even pre-match locker room meetings are regulated with new rules, allowing them to last a maximum of 10 minutes. Not to mention the latter that goes against everything that the All-Star Game represents: opposing players cannot contact or mix after the bell.
Other NBA stars spoke, including Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox. He called the idea of a game “stupid”.
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