By Jacob Gebhart
With COVID-19 still being a factor and everyday life, the NBA has had to take certain precautions this year for the annual NBA All-Star weekend. Before the season had started, Indianapolis was supposed to be the location for this year; however the league and the players association thought it would be safer to move it to 2024 and have this year be in Atlanta.
Now, this decision to move the game was just the beginning of a headache. Before this season had begun, it was under the impression that the All-Star game might not even happen due to protocol and to ensure safety.
Instead, a small break, where players can spend time with their families, was supposed to happen. Players did not like this, and a few superstars opened up about their ideas behind the league all of a sudden changing their mind. Lebron James of the Los Angeles Lakers said, “I don’t even understand why we’re having an All-Star Game… zero energy and zero excitement.”
When the face of basketball says this in response to the league’s decision to go forth with it, it makes a statement not just to the league, but to the players as well. In response to James’s comments, another superstar, Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, said, “it’s money on the line; it’s an opportunity to make more money.”
The players run the show, and the owners just own the business. With COVID-19 taking place, everything has changed, and different associations and companies around the world suffered a financial hit.
In a time like this, players’ own health is much more important than revenue lost. When there are players voicing their concern for a game that wasn’t initially supposed to take place, maybe it shouldn’t happen. In the past, it was a big honor to be voted to the All-Star game, but with all the factors going on in the world, most of the players aren’t interested in the accomplishment; rather, they care about their safety.
The league had to respond to all of their stars voicing out against their decision, and has decided that this year you have the option to play if you are voted, but you are not forced to play like in previous years. This gives more leverage to the players, but they still are going to air it, as the league misses out on almost 40% of revenue without fans. The question though is: does the league care more about money than their own players?
