“When are we going to get back to normal?”
How many times have we heard that in the past year?
Humans have been put through a lot since last March, when the world shut down. Or at least, disappeared as we know it.
Masks became fashion statements. Guys became even more attached to their man caves. And when you heard the words “Bang, Zoom,” it meant Luka Dončić was fixing to jump on a video interview with Mike Breen.
It had nothing to do with old Jackie Gleason “Honeymooners” lines. And I’m sorry I had to explain that to the Netflix generation.
But the point is that we all want things to be like they used to be.
The NBA All-Star Game is a little piece of normalcy in our lives, which might not be what the players want to hear, but is the way things are.
The NBA is doing its part to make things as close to the same as they ever were, which makes you wonder about the players who have said they weren’t interested in partaking in the festivities. That’s just not what even the most diehard NBA fans want to hear right now. Not after a year like we’ve had.
Thankfully, Dončić wasn’t one of those. Maybe it’s his youthful exuberance, but it’s such a commendable attitude that it should be saluted.
Luka and a small traveling party will go to Atlanta Saturday night. They will be shuttled to the hotel, where they won’t have to leave until it’s time to go to the arena. Then, as soon as they are done, it’ll be off to the airport and to whatever destination they choose.
And let’s not forget that players had, in Luka’s case, 72 hours to decompress after Wednesday’s first-half-ending victory over Oklahoma City. The price of fame and fortune is a required 28-hour commitment that will no doubt be watched by a ton of NBA fans.
As for the All-Star event, they are about as non-intrusive on a superstar’s life as this sort of thing can be.
The All-Star Weekend will be reduced to about six hours of entertainment, coming from Atlanta and featuring the All-Star Game, a skills contest (both of which Luka will be participating in), a dunk contest and a 3-point shootout.
While Rising Stars teams were chosen, the actual game will be a casualty this year because of COVID-19 ramifications.
The NBA wanted to keep the bubble in Atlanta as small as possible.
As a result, we get one day to watch the league’s best do what they do.
Enjoy it. It’s a little piece of normalcy you can have in your own house. And don’t give the thought of any imposition on the participants a second thought.
Twitter: @ESefko
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