The NBA All-Star Weekend has come and passed, and with it, you get a time for the NBA players to sit back and relax. They also answer to the media and can reflect on issues facing the NBA today. One of the biggest issues facing the NBA that players were polled on was tanking, and the same goes for player participation. But one player said that alcohol spills are another issue that needs to be discussed.
Every year, The Athletic polls every player at the NBA All-Star Weekend and asks them questions across the board. This year, they asked what the biggest problem facing the NBA was, and the answers ranged from players competing with injuries to tanking to no issues, but one player said the biggest issue was the excessive alcohol at games.
That answer came from Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington. He said, “They might be selling too much alcohol at the games,” said Carrington, who participated in the Rising Stars game. “They keep on spilling it on the court. You have to stop the game to wipe it up.”
The Athletic even noted that Carrington's answer was their favorite of the weekend. Carrington joined the Rising Stars event as an injury replacement. Carrington replaced fellow sophomore Alex Sarr of the Wizards on Team T-Mac. Sarr was unable to participate because of a right hamstring strain.
The players' top concern was injuries. Jaylon Tyson of the Cleveland Cavaliers said the perception of the injuries around the league was not a good look.
“I think the biggest problem right now is the perception that guys don’t want to play,” Tyson said. “Guys are working their tail off every day to be able to get on the court, but unfortunately, our bodies aren’t robots, so we can’t just go out there and play. We've got to be healthy to be out there to go play.”
It is also worth noting that NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that ‘Every possible remedy’ is on the table to stop tanking.
The NBA commissioner also addressed an expected discussion on expansion next month and said relocating a team is not being considered.
