If the NBA approves a current All-Star game this year, LeBron James will leave.
« I have no energy or excitement about an All-Star game this year, » the 16-time All-Star told reporters on Thursday night after the Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets. « I don’t even understand why we have an all-star game. »
The deal still being worked out between the league, the National Basketball Players Association and relevant TV partners means James, Anthony Davis and a handful of the game’s top stars will likely travel to Atlanta in the middle of the COVID – 19 pandemic that has already set enormous limits. As vaccinations have been rolled out and the league has begun to take in more fans in arenas in more markets, the inherent risk of having a gathering of diverse staff from so many different regions poses a significant logistical and safety challenge for the NBA.
ESPN reported Thursday that an agreement on an all-star game as well as a specific set of health and safety protocols for the break should be finalized by next week. But James, still convinced of a shortened off-season and a tight 72-game schedule for the Lakers, described throwing at an exhibition during the five-day break as « pretty much a slap in the face ».
« Obviously the pandemic has absolutely nothing to do with it at this point this weekend, » he said. « Obviously you can see that I’m not very happy about it. But it’s not in my hands. I’ll be there when I’m chosen. But I’ll be there physically, not mentally. »
It won’t be a Laker-dominated weekend like last year in Chicago: Due to a rule that prevents the coaching staff from being represented in consecutive All-Star games, the Lakers coaches (who coached Team LeBron in 2020) won I’m not back to the suggestion of having an All-Star game in Atlanta on March 7th.
And while Lakers head coach Frank Vogel doesn’t have to leave, he admitted that those who are more or less used as soldiers for the bottom line are.
« We are all determined to do everything that is good for the league’s health, » said Vogel. « We have had great success in our business with this pandemic and everyone is just trying to play their part and do the best they can. » … We would all be ready to do this, but given the current climate, it would certainly be more difficult to commit to something like this. “
James is not alone in his criticism. De’Aaron Fox, the Guardian of the Sacramento Kings, admittedly an All-Star candidate, said he thought it was a daring campaign in the face of the pandemic.
« If I want to be brutally honest, I think that’s stupid, » said Fox. « If we have to wear a mask and do all of this for a regular game, what’s the point of bringing back the All-Star game? »
However, declining an All-Star invite comes with a fine, Fox noted, and under those conditions, if selected, he would be in the game.
James and Davis are the closest to certainties to make the game: James, an MVP nominee, was the leading voter in the Western Conference Thursday morning with 2,881,676 fan votes. James has directed the all-star voting for the past four years and has hit 16 NBA records in a row. Davis has appeared in seven all-star games in a row.
While they currently occupy a distant fourth place in the conference standings, the Nuggets’ coaching staff could be in the mix to coach one of the All-Star teams when they get hot in February – which is what Denver coach Michael Malone does (who coached the game in 2019) didn’t seem particularly excited.
« If I heard the latest news that there might be an All-Star game, um, would I go to Atlanta and practice in-game during a five-day All-Star break? » he asked rhetorically. « Personally, I much prefer to stay at home with my wife and children. This schedule was so tight that you don’t really have time with your families. »
But Malone added that the NBA deserved some perks of the doubt with him: He’d rather stay home during a regular year during the All-Star hiatus, but he believes the league has a way to go will find in front.
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« I’m going to say this: when they have this all-star game, okay with it or not, the league is going to make sure it is done in a very responsible and safe way and it has been proven time and again. »
After being confiscated in hotel rooms in snow-capped cities in the east for two weeks, the Lakers decided to stretch their legs in the sunshine on Wednesday.
In their first official training session since their seven-game trip, the Lakers did their warm-up exercises outside on a soccer field across from their practice facility in El Segundo. Several players have pointed out the lack of available practice time as a hurdle to learning new concepts and playing in different lineups. Vogel said he wanted to give them an easy day that would strengthen their minds but also shake off some rust from the road trip.
« That way we could take the guys outside a little and feel the great SoCal weather, » he said. « And I think it’s always refreshing for the guys. I have to go to the gym, I’ve been working on a few things. I didn’t mean to overdo the game today. But definitely great to be back in the gym and teaching some things and to be able to correct. »
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