Report: NBA Planning All-Star Game, Skills Competitions on March 7
The NBA and the Players Association are nearing an agreement to hold the 2021 All-Star Game on March 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The league will also likely hold a slate of skills competitions on the same night, per Wojnarowski. No agreement has been reached as of Tuesday morning as the league finalizes its health and safety protocols for the event.
The 2021 All-Star Game was postponed in August given the uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 crisis. Indianapolis was slated to host the All-Star Game, but its turn to host has now been pushed back to 2024. Turner Sports is based in Atlanta, easing the logistics of hosting an All-Star Game this year.
No players have announced their intent to opt-out of the All-Star Game as of Tuesday. The NBA and the union are reportedly "increasingly confident that enough of the league's top players are willing to participate," per Wojnarowski.
The NBA reportedly plans to have daily testing during the All-Star break. Players will likely be required to return to their teams two days before the end of the March 5-10 break, per Wojnarowski.
The first half of the 2020–21 schedule will conclude on March 4. Players will then have a five-day break before the second half of the league's 72-game schedule begins. The second-half schedule has yet to be announced.
