The NBA All-Star Game is less than one month away and the momentum for one of the most anticipated sports events of the year is growing by the day. The players, led by LeBron James‘ comments in past weeks, have expressed discontent for the event this year, some offering they would only play to avoid a fine.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is the latest to weigh in on the ASG and the potential it could have on her city. In the spirit of discouraging mass gatherings and unnecessary travel, she issued the following statement to NBC 11Alive.
“Under normal circumstances, we would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to host the NBA All-Star game, but this is not a typical year. I have shared my concerns related to public health and safety with the NBA and Atlanta Hawks. We are in agreement that this is a made-for-TV event only, and people should not travel to Atlanta to party. There will be no sanctioned events open to the public and we strongly encourage promoters, clubs, bars, etc. not to host events in the city related to this game.”
The 2021 All-Star Game is scheduled for March 7. It was originally slated to take place in Indianapolis but was moved to Atlanta due to the global pandemic and scheduling conflicts with the 2021 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
