Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox evidently does not support the NBA having an All-Star Game this season, saying “it’s 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 Basketball Players Association were working toward an agreement for an All-Star Game on March 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
When asked Wednesday night whether he had heard about the All-Star Game possibly returning, 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 of this for a regular game, then what’s 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 is “not really worried” about playing in the All-Star Game if selected.
“If I get voted in, 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 was not among the top-10 Western Conference guards in the initial fan vote returns, which were announced Thursday.
Fox also was asked Wednesday night whether he would choose to play in the game if he were selected to the Western Conference roster.
“You know you get fined — if you’re supposed to be in it and you’re not hurt and you decide not to play, that’s a hefty fine,” he said. “So hell yeah, I would play in it.”