Report: NBA Insider Says 2021 All-Star Game in Atlanta to Be Like 'Mini-Bubble'

As the NBA continues to take heat from star players over the planning of the 2021 All-Star Game during a pandemic, the league's planning surrounding the event is taking shape.

Sam Amick of The Athletic spoke to a source who said the league is planning to essentially hold a "mini-bubble" for the festivities, which are also set to include the Three-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest.

"The league's belief is that the players who come will likely be better off than the many who are expected to squeeze in getaways during the short break," Amick wrote.

The NBA's plan to hold a March 7 All-Star Game in Atlanta has drawn overwhelming criticism, both from fans and prominent players. LeBron James was the first major star to speak out against the game, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard, among others, soon joining the chorus.

James told reporters last week:

"I have zero energy and zero excitement about an All-Star Game this year. I don't even understand why we're having an All-Star Game. Short offseason for myself and my teammates. It was 71 days. And then coming into this season, we were told that we were not having an All-Star Game, so we'd have a nice little break. 

"Five days (in March) from the fifth through the 10th, an opportunity for me to kind of recalibrate for the second half of the season—my teammates as well, some of the guys in the league. And then they throw an All-Star Game on us like this and just breaks that all the way up. So, um, pretty much kind of a slap in the face."

The NBA and NBPA reportedly negotiated an agreement for the game, per The Athletic's Shams Charania, so this is not a case of all players necessarily being forced against their will. However, the event has drawn clear blowback from players and fans, both over the safety of the players and the optics of holding an exhibition amid a pandemic.

No major sports league in the United States has held an All-Star Game since the pandemic hit. There has been understandable criticism of the NBA's handling of the health and safety of its players to push them into an exhibition.

The All-Star Game is not an extra source of revenue in the NBA's television contracts, though it is regularly the highest-rated non-postseason game. 

Even if the NBA takes every precaution to ensure the safety of players, there is a massive optics issue. It would be fair to say holding an NBA All-Star Weekend is unnecessarily risking worsening the COVID-19 pandemic.