The NBA All-Star Game might be played and it could spotlight HBCUs.
According to a report by ESPN NBA senior insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the National Basketball Players Association and the league are in talks to hold the annual event in March in Atlanta.
All-Star Weekend, originally scheduled for Indianapolis next month, was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chris Paul, though, has reportedly engaged the interest of a scaled-back All-Star event, which would showcase historically Black Colleges and universities in addition to providing pandemic-related relief funds, Wojnarowski reported.
Paul, who plays for the Phoenix Suns, has been an ardent supporter of black colleges over the years, including wearing HBCU paraphernalia during the NBA bubble in Orlando last fall. He also has backed a weeklong basketball and academic experience for elite players from HBCUs that offers development opportunities from former and current NBA pros and training for student-athletes aspiring to play professionally.
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving recently paid off college debt for students at Lincoln University (Pa.) through his charitable foundation.
“Both the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena and Atlanta-based HBCU campus gyms are under consideration to house a potential game, “Wojnarowski reported.
