Behind what has been a scorching hot start to the new season, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards has unsurprisingly emerged as the top vote-getter among all Eastern Conference guards in the first batch of van votes for the much-talked-about 2021 All-Star game. For his part, Beal acknowledged the honor of being the most popular backcourt player in the conference, but he also admitted that there remains to be some confusion with regards to the voting system.
In a recent interview, Beal explained why the results of the voting have left him a bit dumbfounded (h/t Fred Katz of The Athletic):
Bradley Beal on leading Eastern Conference guards in All-Star voting: “That’s a huge honor to be able to gain that recognition from fans around the world…But I’m also kinda confused, too. I think we both know why. It’s like, what was so different from this year and last year?” pic.twitter.com/sKDsCnUOQf
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) February 7, 2021
Beal was a noteworthy snub from last year's All-Star festivities, with the 6-foot-3 not getting enough votes to crack the team. This put an end to his previous two-year streak as an All-Star. Clearly, Beal is still ruing the snub, and he saw this recent development as an opportunity to question the entire voting system for the All-Star game.
To be fair, Beal is putting up some career-best numbers this term, which is why it isn't surprising that he's leading all Eastern Conference guards in the voting. The 27-year-old's 33.3 points per-game average is currently the very best in the league. For what it's worth, he averaged 30.5 points per game last year.
The Wizards star then went on to share his thoughts on the controversy surrounding the All-Star game festivities in the midst of a global pandemic:
Beal on ASG: "I’m not excited about it honestly, just from the protocols & everything we have to go through now. No disrepsect to the All-Star Game but it’s a pandemic going on. AS weekend is about the fans … & that’s not gonna be there, so I don’t think it’s worth the force"
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) February 7, 2021
Beal is not the first player to voice a strong opinion against the All-Star game this season. Earlier, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James also took a shot at the league for even considering holding the event this year in spite of all the health and safety risks involved.
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