Kevin Durant won’t play in next Sunday’s All-Star Game and he may not even travel to Atlanta for the event, but he will remain one of the team captains, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN.
Durant hasn’t played since February 13 because of a strained left hamstring, and the decision to have him skip the All-Star Game was made this week after a follow-up MRI. The Nets‘ medical staff believes Durant needs additional time to return to full strength.
Durant will continue with rehab and will be re-evaluated after the break. Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis was selected as his replacement for the All-Star Game, while Celtics forward Jayson Tatum will replace KD as one of the game’s 10 starters.
As captain, Durant will participate in the All-Star draft along with LeBron James to choose which players will be on each team. The event will be televised March 4 on TNT.
So he is drafting the players for a team that he won’t be on? That makes sense.
why does it matter?
Typifies ASG effort.
The whole purpose of the draft seems to be to even things out for the east, otherwise the West All-Stars will just win by 50 points.
Who has the most All Star Game Wins East or West?
As of the 2017 All-Star Game (the 2016–17 NBA season), the Eastern Conference leads with a record of 37 wins and 29 losses.
Yes brilliant … brilliant. Once again your twisted sense of Homerism gets in the way of facts. You are no different than Marty bro. Just not as insulting. Is this cause Harden is in the East now …. geez man enjoy the game.
So your hypothesis is that this year’s roster of talent is affected by previous year’s rosters?
So if one of the team captains doesn’t even want to show up and at least watch the game, why should anyone else want to?
Since Sabonis is replacing him in the game, he should replace him as Captain.
Yes!
I agree KD shouldn’t pick since he’s not playing. Let it go to second highest vote getter. It would fall to Steph or second highest East player it falls to Giannis. If you can’t play you should be spectator only. Get well KD.
He would pick LBJ if he could.
Even in a regular season in any sport, a midseason All-Star event essentially punishes (most of) the very best players of the game. They’re the ones that lose out on a few days of R and R, have additional travel, lots of media responsibilities, etc. The “lesser” players are the ones who get a few days away from the stress and often a little extra time with the family. That’s a very strange situation in normal years… During these odd times, so many can only ask “why?” Money, of course, but it’s a pretty abusive system, especially this year.
Does anyone really care?
Basketball is only Second in the world. To the real King of sports Football (USA – soccer). So I’d say yes plenty people care. Best game in the world to me.
Baseball is much bigger. Sorry.