The McDonald’s All American Game for top high school basketball prospects has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic for a second straight year, as Shane Laflin of ESPN writes. McDonald’s will still announce its 48-player roster for 2021 (24 boys and 24 girls) later this month and will virtually honor the class, Laflin notes.
The event has served over the years as a showcase for future impact NBA players. The league’s five most recent No. 1 picks – Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, Deandre Ayton, Zion Williamson, and Anthony Edwards – are among the many future NBAers who have been named to the rosters for the McDonald’s All American Game since 2015 alone.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Defending the NBA’s decision to hold an All-Star Game this season, commissioner Adam Silver said on ESPN’s The Jump that the league also faced criticism for resuming play last summer in the bubble and for beginning its new season in December amid the coronavirus pandemic. “It seems like no decisions during this pandemic come without uncertainty and come without risk,” Silver said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “This is yet another one of them, and yet it’s my job to balance all those interests and ultimately it feels like the right thing to do to go forward.”
- Former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson remains interested in coaching in the NBA, but said during an appearance on The Boardroom: Out of Office Podcast that he believes the “narrative” surrounding his time in Golden State has contributed to limiting his opportunities. Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News has the story, including some quotes from Jackson.
- Former Colorado State forward Stanton Kidd, who appeared in four games for the Jazz during the 2019/20 season, has signed with Hapoel Jerusalem through the end of this season, the Israeli team announced in a press release. Kidd, waived by Utah in November 2019, had been playing for OGM Ormanspor in Turkey before making the move to Israel.
That’s funny, the “narrative” around Jackson’s time at GS. More like the facts during that time keep him from getting another coaching job.
He doesn’t do himself any favors in the booth either
Doesn’t seem relatable to the new age kids and a pretty stubborn fella. Dont see a fit
Well said Adam, you are just making the right decisions, btw hopefully you do realize that just ’bout all the fans want the ASG to go on, for a handful that they don’t shouldn’t be cancelled, right?
Thats the thing about entering the argument arena, it rarely stays based in truth after the first volley from either side.
The All Star game going on or not is trivial at best. The Bubble that shouldn’t have happened if we are still cancelling McDonald’s All-American games, seems like a thin counter volley for the logical order of mitigation, prevention & safety.
Now that the Vax rewards program has been unveiled, this “argument” is no longer about All-Star games. The NBA has stepped in the proverbial “it” Nice dodge Mr. Silver! Oley!
I feel for these kids in high school and college. Missing some of the best memories of their lives. Not just basketball games but everything else that goes on in life.
The “narrative” around Jackson is that he’s an intellectual lightweight who hasn’t caught up with the modern NBA, and he (allegedly) didn’t treat people right the last time he had the big chair.
If he was willing to put some time in as an assistant somewhere, admit what he doesn’t know, and show some humility, I’d bet he’d get another opportunity. If he’s not willing to do that? He’ll hang on in broadcasting for a little while longer.