Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox evidently does not support the NBA having an All-Star Game this season, saying it “is stupid” for the League to hold the event amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sources told ESPN earlier this week that the NBA and the National Association of Basketball Players they were working toward a deal to hold the All-Star Game on March 7 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
When asked Wednesday night if he had heard about the possible return of the All-Star Game, Fox indicated that the league’s decision was financially driven.
“If I’m going to be brutally honest, I think it’s stupid,” Fox said after leading the Kings to a victory over the Boston Celtics. “If we have to wear a mask and do all this for a regular game, what is the point of bringing the All-Star game back?
“Obviously, money makes the world go round, so it is what it is.”
Despite his reference to the NBA’s coronavirus-related protocols, Fox said he’s “not really worried” about playing in the All-Star Game if he’s selected.
“If they vote for me, so be it,” he said.
Fox, 23, is having an outstanding season with the Kings, averaging 22.3 points and 6.6 assists per game. He wasn’t among the top 10 guards in the Western Conference in initial fan votes, which were announced Thursday.
Fox was also asked Wednesday night if he would choose to play if he were selected to the Western Conference roster.
“You know you are fined, if you are supposed to participate and you are not injured and you decide not to play, it is a considerable fine,” he said. “So heck yeah I’d play in it.”