De’Aaron Fox has his eyes on an All-Star nod this season, but that does not mean he thinks the NBA should hold its annual midseason event amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Fox spoke to the media on Wednesday night following the Sacramento Kings’ 116-111 win over the Boston Celtics, and made it clear that he has major opposition to the league’s planned All-Star game this season.
De’Aaron Fox was brutally honest on the NBA’s plan to have an All-Star game this season…
(via @SeanCunningham)pic.twitter.com/81XbryBfmA
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) February 4, 2021
“I mean, if I’m gonna be brutally honest, I think it’s stupid,” Fox said. “If we have to wear masks and do all this for a regular game, then what’s the point of bringing the All-Star Game back? Money makes the world go ’round, so, it is what it is.”
Fox was then asked about potentially participating in the game if he gets voted, and while he said yes, he made clear that his decision stems from the consequences of turning an invite down.
“You know you get fined,” Fox said while laughing. “If you’re supposed to be in it and you’re not hurt and you decide not to play, that’s a hefty fine, so hell yeah, I would play in it.”
This season, Fox is averaging a career-best 22.3 points per game with 6.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 32.6 minutes a night for the Kings, which sit 10-11 and are firmly in the race for a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament. On Thursday morning, a report by Shams Charania of The Athletic indicated that the NBA and its players association have an agreement in place to hold an All-Star event on March 7 in Atlanta.