Silver defends All-Star decision

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has heard all the reasons the league should not have an All-Star Game in Atlanta on March 7.

He has two reasons the league should: the fans and the game’s economy.

Silver told the Associated Press that the fact that about 100 million votes were cast by fans for AllStar starters shows that people who follow the game globally wanted the midseason showcase to be played. And the league, he said, didn’t want to disappoint them.

“It’s the largest factor, the amount of engagement we get from our fans around All-Star,” Silver said. “Historically, in the modern digital age, we have roughly 100 million people vote for our AllStars, and we came out about the same this year even with a shortened voting period.”

Players have raised some questions about why the game is necessary and the risks involved in playing it during a pandemic. The league has said it will fly players into Atlanta privately, keep them in a hotel for one night, play the game and fly them out immediately afterward.

Warriors: Jeremy Lin said he will not reveal the person who allegedly called him “coronavirus” on the court even after his accusation set off an investigation by the G League.

“I know this will disappoint some of you but I am not naming or shaming anyone,” Lin wrote on Twitter Saturday. “What good does it do for someone in this situation to be torn down?”

Lim, 32, trying to resurrect his career in the G league bubble with Golden State, revealed the “coronavirus” incident in a Facebook post Thursday.

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