LeBron James Calls NBA, NBPA All-Star Game Agreement A ‘Slap In The Face’
To say that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has little enthusiasm for playing in his 17th NBA All-Star Game this year would be a massive understatement. Following his team’s blowout win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, the 36-year-old issued some harsh criticism of the league and the players union for agreeing to schedule the mid-season classic.
“I have zero energy and zero excitement about an All-Star Game this year,” he said, via ESPN. “I don’t even understand why we’re having an All-Star Game.”
James’ statement comes after The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweeted earlier in the day that the event would be held on March 7 in Atlanta, Georgia. Before his report, the fate of the NBA’s annual showcase was in doubt as COVID-19 case numbers in the U.S., although trending downward, continue to be at some of the highest levels since the coronavirus reached American shores last year.
While the move to conclude its 2019-20 campaign in the Orlando, Florida bubble went off without a hitch, the association has experienced a number of COVID-related issues recently. A multitude of games had to be postponed in the early season as teams grappled with positive test results.
Moreover, there is a wear-and-tear factor to be considered, as the ’19-20 campaign was concluded several months later than usual and some clubs had a historically short offseason before jumping back into the fray. For James and the Lakers, this rings especially true.
“Short offseason for myself and my teammates, 71 days,” James said. “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 fifth through the 10th, an opportunity for me to kind of recalibrate for the second half of the season. My teammates as well.”
The decision to move forward may have been made with business in mind, but James appears to be taking it very personally.
“Pretty much kind of a slap in the face,” he said.
The four-time champion isn’t the only player to have lamented the move in a very public way. Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox was similarly disinterested in the event — which would be his first if he is voted in or selected to play by Western Conference coaches — and was equally as harsh with his own criticism.
“If I’m going to be brutally honest, I think it’s stupid,” he said, as relayed by ESPN.
Fox cited all of the health and safety protocols that are required for even a regular NBA contest to take place and further opined that the decision to incur further risk was financially motivated.
Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed concern about coronavirus spikes around the nation, saying that Super Bowl parties could become super-spreader events.
