DALLAS – It’s going to be a marathon and another basketball day, but eventually it will be full of stars.
The NBA will be holding its traditional mid-season game in Atlanta in an unconventional way, although they hope it will be just as appealing to basketball fans, who will largely have to watch it on television.
The traditional weekend of the All-Star Game was reduced to just one event this Sunday, which will feature skill competitions, nailed-to-the-baskets, three-point shots and conclude with the great game, with the players who have the best. season they live in, plus some fan favorites.
“The All-Star Game is part of our league,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “It starts and ends with the fans. It’s an event that the fans want to see. They love to see the players together.”
Personally, there will be only a few invited people, health workers already vaccinated against Covid-19, who will be in the Atlanta Hawks arena, who had to enter the removal to replace Indianapolis.
Some players questioned the All-Star game due to the crowds and closeness between the season that ended in the summer in the Orlando bubble and the season that started on December 22, which will have 72 games, i.e. 10 less than a normal season. Except for the previous one, which had to stop and then resume as a result of the pandemic to complete the same number of about 70 games with the teams still in competition for a ticket to the play-offs.
“Regardless, it’s an honor to be eligible for the All-Star Game,” said Luka Doncic, who will become the first player in Dallas Mavericks history to start these types of games in consecutive seasons. It is true that we could have used a little rest. But no one can complain that we are there. It’s a great honour.’
Again, as in the previous three years, the format will not be East versus West. Two teams were put together as if they were going to play a “cascarita” in which the two captains who received the most votes to participate in the event choose their players.
LeBron James selected Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Stephen Curry (Golden State) and Nikola Jokic (Denver) as the first five. At first glance, it seems stronger than Kevin Durant, who, despite his major absence due to an injury, chose his partner with the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irvin, Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) and Bradley Beal (Washington).
The rest of Team LeBron will include Rudy Gobert, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Domantas Sabonis, Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown and Paul George.
Durant gets Jayson Tatum, who replaces him on the runway; James Harden, Zack Levin, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle, Nicola Vucevich, Zion Williamson, and Mike Conley. Anthony Davis and Devin Booler were replaced due to injury.
The day starts at 6:30 p.m. ET with the Skills and Triples competitions. And at 8:00 PM ET, the All-Star Game begins, with the half-time “nails” show.
The second half of the NBA season resumes on Wednesday and ends on May 21, one day before the playoffs begin.