With the first half of the NBA season out of the way, the NBA will host a not-so-traditional All-Star game in Atlanta, Ga.  

The NBA all-star weekend is one of the most highly-anticipated weekends for fans as it displays the best-of-the-best playing in the most talented pick-up game across the world. Now, in the middle of a pandemic, the NBA is receiving criticism from athletes and politicians as they don’t want players to risk spreading the coronavirus to highly populated cities across the country. 

“We all know why we’re playing it,” said Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard. “It’s money on the line; it’s an opportunity to make more money. Just putting money over health right now, pretty much,” Leonard told reporters when asked about the All-Star game. 

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms also expressed concern, saying, “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.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver responded to the concerns being thrown in his direction saying that the All-Star weekend will be a “mini-bubble” and that there will be “enhanced COVID testing on top of the usual procedures we go through.”

Tualatin High School junior Eddie Farah was hopeful that the game could proceed with minimal risk.  

“I think it will be good that there will be a game played. I just hope everyone will follow all the COVID protocols and be safe. I trust the league that they will do a good job and keep everyone safe,” Farah said. 

As for the protocols, players will not be allowed to leave their hotel rooms excluding trips to and from the arena and are only allowed to bring a limited number of guests that must quarantine at home for seven consecutive days and provide four negative COVID-19 tests prior to private travel on March 6. The players’ eligibility to play solely relies on if results come back negative on March 6 and March 7. Regarding the All-Star weekend itself, all the events will take place on one day, compared to the usual three-day tradition. 

The NBA All-Star events will take place on March 7 and will begin at 3:30 p.m. PST, starting with the Skills Challenge quickly followed by the 3-Point Contest. The 70th All-Star game will begin at 5 p.m. PST with the Slam Dunk Contest occurring during halftime. 

All-Star teams were selected by players who got the most fan votes, which resulted in LeBron James as the West captain and Kevin Durant as the East captain. Team James’ starting lineup consists of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić. Reserves are Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Chris Paul, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Domantas Sabonis and Rudy Gobert. As for Durant, who is injured, his starting lineup includes Kyrie Irving, Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum. The reserves for Team Durant include James Harden, Zion Williamson, Zach Lavine, Julius Randle, Nikola Vučević, Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley.  

Although the NBA’s decision to host the event is being widely criticized, the NBA has promised $3 million during All-Star weekend to help historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The NBA will also allow socially-distanced fans into the arena who are alumni and current HBCU students.