“Zero energy and zero interest”@KingJames on playing in the All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/yrVi6oedkF
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 5, 2021
For some reason (money), the NBA and NBA Player’s Association announced plans to hold an All-Star Game in Atlanta in March, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that has led to cancelations throughout the league and most arenas without fans.
The league may want to rethink those plans after Thursday night, when the Western Conference’s current leading vote getter and face of the league, LeBron James, openly ripped the idea during his postgame Zoom conference.
“I have zero energy and zero excitement about an All-Star Game this year,” James said after the Los Angeles Lakers’ 114-93 win over the Denver Nuggets. “I don’t even understand why we’re having an All-Star Game.
“Short offseason for myself and my teammates, 71 days,” James said, referring to the short break the Lakers had between winning the title in the bubble and the start of the current season. “And then coming into this season, we were told that we were not having an All-Star Game, so we’d have a nice little break. Five days [in March] from the 5th through the 10th, an opportunity for me to kind of recalibrate for the second half of the season. My teammates as well. Some of the guys in the league.
“And then they throw an All-Star Game on us like this and just breaks that all the way up. So, um, pretty much kind of a slap in the face.”
James’ thoughts on the matter would seem to be a massive problem for the league, considering it also will now make it easier for other players to publicly voice their displeasure. A group of unhappy stars being forced to participate would defeat the entire purpose of what is supposed to be a joyus weekend.
“We’re also still dealing with a pandemic,” James said. “We’re still dealing with everything that’s been going on, and we’re going to bring the whole league into one city that’s open? Obviously, the pandemic has absolutely nothing to do with it at this point when it comes to that weekend.
“Obviously, you guys can see that I’m not very happy about it.”
James said he won’t boycott, but made it clear he’d be checked out.
“It’s the agreement that the players’ association and the league came about. … It’s out of my hands,” James said. “I’ll be there if I’m selected. But I’ll be there physically, but not mentally.”