ATLANTA (AP) It s the NBA All-Star Game almost no one seemed to want.
Certainly not the players, who scoffed at the notion of playing an exhibition game in the midst of a pandemic.
The city of Atlanta, picked as a replacement for original host Indianapolis, didn t seem so thrilled with the idea, either.
The mayor urged fans to stay away from an event renowned for wild parties and packed streets. Police scheduled 12-hour shifts and canceled off days in an attempt to crack down on any events that could lead to a surge of COVID-19 cases.
But the league pressed forward, eager to improve its bottom line and its brand by televising the popular midseason showcase around the world.
PHOTO: AP
ATLANTA Even in the strangest NBA All-Star Game of them all, LeBron James was still the perfect captain.
Team LeBron showed off its high-flying and long-range skills during a dominating run to close out the first half, setting up a 170-150 romp over Team Durant in the league s 70th midseason showcase Sunday night (Monday, Manila time).
This one sure was different than the previous 69 All-Star contests.
Determined to pull off an exhibition that is huge for TV revenue and the league s worldwide brand, the NBA staged the game in a mostly empty arena in downtown Atlanta, a made-for-TV extravaganza that was symbolic of the coronavirus era.
ATLANTA — In the midst of a pandemic, this was assured of being an NBA All-Star Game like no other.The stands were mostly empty. The crowd noise was largely piped in. There were no A-list celebrities. . .
Team LeBron wins NBA All-Star Game, but HBCUs were the real winner of the night kvia.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kvia.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
For a fourth straight year, Captain LeBron James and his team were victorious - winning the 2021 NBA All-Star Game by reaching the target score of 170 while holding Team Durant to 150 points. Courtesy of the win, Team LeBron earned a total of $1.25 million for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.