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Even though the 2020-21 NBA season is being played during a pandemic, the league is considering holding an All-Star Game in March. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Atlanta is being considered as the host city.
ESPN Sources: The NBA and NBPA are discussing scenarios to still hold an All-Star game in March. One site under discussion is Atlanta, home of Turner Sports. That idea includes providing support for HBCU’s and COVID-19 relief. Story soon on site.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 25, 2021
Woj says Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul is pushing for the idea which will come during the NBA’s schedule break between March 5-10. Because of the pandemic, All-Star Weekend won’t look like what we are used to seeing, with a scaled-back version of the event.
Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox would be the frontrunner to represent the team if the All-Star Game becomes a reality. He leads the team in points (20.9) and assists (5.9) and could get his first All-Star nod.
We could see a couple more Kings make the trip to Atlanta if the league holds more events than just the All-Star Game itself. Buddy Hield could get the opportunity to defend the 3-point-contest he won during the 2019-20 season, while Tyrese Haliburton would be a shoo-in for the Rising Stars Challenge.
It will be interesting to see how things play out with the vaccine over the coming weeks. We have seen several games postponed due to positive tests and contact tracing. If outbreaks are still a concern for the league, we could see the game scrapped altogether.
Indianapolis was originally scheduled to host All-Star Weekend before the pandemic wiped out those plans. The NBA gave the 2024 All-Star Game to Indy to makeup for the loss.
Do you think Fox has played well enough to get an invite to the game?
On to some links:
Fox could be playing basketball over the summer as well. He is one of 60 players being considered to represent Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics. (NBC Sports)
Haliburton has had an impressive start to his career. Julio Luis Munar of Clutch Points explains why you should invest in a Haliburton rookie card.
Sacramento got a much-needed win over the New York Knicks that ended a four-game losing streak. See where ESPN has the Kings in the latest power rankings.