Curry doesn’t want All-Star draft on TV

HOUSTON — Count Warriors point guard Stephen Curry among those who support the NBA’s decision not to televise the All-Star Game draft this week.

“I’ve always been a proponent of protecting the players,” Curry said. “I know that’s the unpopular position in this day and age. We’re all grown men, and we can handle it. We’re All-Stars and what not. But we want to see how the whole format goes the first time, so it’s presented in the right light.”

Per the league’s new All-Star Game format, Curry and Cleveland’s LeBron James — the players from each conference who received the most fan votes — will choose rosters from a pool of players voted as starters and reserves.

Perhaps the most entertaining part of the new process — the draft itself — won’t be televised or made public. As NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: “There was a sense from the players that it put them in an impossible position, where they’re picking one player over another — in part, not because they necessarily think that player is better than another player, maybe because they have a personal relationship with the player.”

James and Washington’s John Wall have called for the draft to be televised, saying the All-Stars could handle the draft order. However, Curry recognizes the embarrassing possibilities players could face by televising the draft.

“It is an extreme honor to be an All-Star,” Curry said. “It sounds great that there won’t be any memes or GIFs, whatever it is. Whatever the case is, you won’t be ridiculed for being an All-Star. You got to see how it plays out the first time around.”

Shortly after the NBA announces the reserves, as selected by NBA head coaches, on Tuesday, Curry will participate in a conference call with James and all the participants. The league will reveal the teams Thursday. Iguodala out: Warriors forward Andre Iguodala missed his second straight game Saturday with a left calf contusion.

“It just didn’t make sense to play him,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s banged up.”