The NBA has

announced it will have its annual All-Star game but one of league’s biggest

names is not thrilled about the idea.

Los Angeles

Lakers player LeBron James said the decision to have the one-off game is a “slap

in the face” for players after being told that there wouldn’t be one.

James, 36,

told reporters yesterday, “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.”

He added, “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.”

He further said that

with the ongoing pandemic, there should have been greater concern for the

safety of everyone.

“We’re also still

dealing with a pandemic,” James — who was named a captain for the past

three seasons — said. “We’re still dealing with everything that’s been

going on, and we’re going to bring the whole league into one city that’s open?

Obviously, the pandemic has absolutely nothing to do with it at this point when

it comes to that weekend.”

The highest voted

for players are selected as captains for the two teams and those two captains

pick their teams in a draft format. James is currently second in the

votes, behind Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets.