>>> THE NBA IS SET TO KICK OFF
ALL-STAR WEEKEND IN THE ATL AND
NORMAL TIMES THE GLITZ AND GLAM
SETS FOLKS UP TO STRUT THROUGH
THE CITY AND TRY TO WIN LIKE
LORI HARVEY ON AND OFF THE COURT
BUT THESE ARE NOT NORMAL TIMES.
I’M NO SPORTS EXPERT, THE MOST I
KNOW ABOUT BASKETBALL IS EVERY
VERSE IN CURTIS BLOW’S 1984
CLASSIC, BUT IF THIS IS HOW
LeBRON JAMES IS DESCRIBING THE
BIG GAME --
>> 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.
>> AFTER THAT, THE ATLANTA MAYOR
IS SAYING PEOPLE SHOULD NOT
TRAVEL TO ATLANTA TO PARTY.
THEN WHY ARE THE LEAGUE AND
PARTY PROMOTERS ALIKE SINGING
STHOET WELCOME TO ATLANTA WHERE THE PLAYERS PLAY ♪
THE PLAYERS PLAY ♪
JOINING ME TO GET ANSWERS CARRIE
CHAMPION AND JAMELLE HILL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.
CARRIE, WHY IS THE ALL-STAR GAME
HAPPENING?
>> FIRST AND FOREMOST THAT INTEREST WAS SPECTACULAR.
INTEREST WAS SPECTACULAR.
HARVEY, ALL I KNOW IS CURTIS
BLOW, WELCOME.
IN THE INTERESTS OF DISCLOSURE I
GO TO ATLANTA EVERY WEEK BECAUSE
I DO A PROJECT WITH TURNER AND
SHEER WHAT HAPPENED.
I THINK STUCK IN A VERY
DIFFICULT SITUATION BECAUSE HE’S
TRYING TO BALANCE A LEAGUE THAT
PROBABLY LOST 40% OF ITS
REVENUE, AND STILL TRYING TO
MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PLAYERS
DURING THE PANDEMIC.
I THINK THE REASON WHY THEY’RE
HAVING IT IS MONEY.
THAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE.
PLAYERS DON’T WANT TO BE THERE
BECAUSE THEY WERE TOLD THEY DID
NOT HAVE TO HAVE ALL-STAR.
THEY HAD AN ABBREVIATED SEASON,
AND SO THEY’RE EXHAUSTED.
NOT TO MENTION THAT FOR ME, I’M
SEEING -- AND IT’S ONLY A SMALL
GROUP OF PLAYERS, A SMALL
PERCENTAGE OF THE PLAYERS, 5% OF
THE PLAYERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE
IN THE ALL-STAR EVENT BUT THE
REALITY IS, IT’S ABOUT THE MONEY
AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THIS
IS WHAT HAS BEEN BOTHERING ME
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SEASON, OR
THIS ABBREVIATED SEASON.
THEY REALLY DON’T HAVE ANY SAY.
THEY HAVE TO DO IT, BECAUSE THEY
WANT THEIR MONEY, TOO, REFERRING
TO THE PLAYERS.
>> JEMELE, IF SO MANY OF THE LOT
DON’T WANT TO PLAY, YOU HEARD
FROM LeBRON JAMES, THEN WHY ARE
THEY PLAYING?
DO YOU THINK THAT THE LEAGUE
WOULD SUE THEIR UNION?
WHAT IF THEY DECIDED I GOT TO
PUT MY HEALTH FIRST, I’M OUT?
>> I THINK IT’S JUST WHAT CARI
SAID, THERE’S TWO PARTS TO THIS,
THE LEAGUE HAS TO MAKE MONEY AND
THE PLAYERS WANT TO KEEP CASHING
THEM CHECKS.
NOBODY’S TRYING TO LOSE ANY
INCOME IN THIS PANDEMIC AND I
KNOW TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
LISTENING, THEY’RE THINKING
OKAY, BUT YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR
SAFETY, ALL OF THAT AND WHILE
THEY CERTAINLY VALUE THOSE
THINGS, AT SOME POINT AND I
THINK THIS SPEAKS TO A LARGER
ISSUE IN OUR WHOLE SOCIETY IT’S
A RISK REWARD.
WE WERE TALKING A FEW SECONDS
AGO ABOUT PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW
WHO ARE GOING TO RESTAURANTS,
OUT THERE BRUNCHING LIKE IT
AIN’T NO THING, AND IT’S THE
SAME KIND OF MENTALITY, WHERE
IT’S LIKE OKAY, I WANT TO STILL
HAVE THESE PERSONAL FREEDOMS,
EVEN THOUGH WE’RE IN A PANDEMIC.
I’M JUST GOING TO FIND A WAY TO TWEET THROUGH IT, AS THEY SAY
TWEET THROUGH IT, AS THEY SAY
AND A LOT OF PLAYERS ARE,
FRANKLY, RESIGNED THEM TESTIFIES
DO THAT.
>> SCARY FOR THE PLAYERS AND
FAMILIES AND EVERYONE THEY COME
IN CONTACT WITH.
I WANT TO GET YOUR OPINION ON
THIS STORY, NOT KNOWING THINGS
ABOUT SPORTS.
MOST OF THE THINGS I KNOW ABOUT
SPORTS I TEXT JEMELE AND ASK
HER.
THE SALE OF THE ATLANTA DREAM.
THIS IS MAZING.
TWO-TIME WNBA CHAMPION RENEE
BECOMING OWNER AND EXECUTIVE,
THIS IS A TEAM THAT WAS FORMERLY
OWNED BY THE FORMER REPUBLICAN
SENATOR KELLY LOEFFLER AND THE
AMAZING BUS MOVE WHEN THEY GOT
OFF THE BUS WITH THE WARNOCK
SHIRTS ON WAS SO AWESOME.
THIS IS A PRETTY BIG DEAL.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO STAYAY ABOUT
IT, CARI?
>> I THINK IT’S GREAT.
I GIVE RENEE SO MUCH LOVE.
WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT
WITH HER THE OTHER DAY ABOUT
WOMEN IN SPORTS AND EMPOWERMENT
AND SHE WAS LIKE WE NEED TO
START INVESTING.
THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THE WOMEN
ARE MAKING DECISIONS AT THE
TABLE.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF SHE
WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE YES I JUST
BOUGHT A TEAM BUT THAT’S NOT THE
POINT.
IT WAS SO FITTING BECAUSE RENEE
IS AN ACTIVIST, TOOK LAST SEASON
OFF WHEN ALL OF THIS IS
HAPPENING TO LAND HER VOICE AND
PLATFORM TO THE FIGHT AND SHE
WAS LIKE I WANT TO BE A PART OF
THIS.
MY PARENTS WERE ACTIVISTS, I
SHOULD BE ONE AND FOR THIS TO
COME FULL CIRCLE AND ANNOUNCE
HER RETIREMENT NOT LONG AGO AND
WEEKS LATER SAY SHE OWNS A TEAM
OR A PORTION OF A TEAM IS
WONDERFUL, AND SHE GAVE A LOT OF
CREDIT TO LeBRON, BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER,
DON’T KNOW IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER,
HE HAD TWEETED WHEN ALL THIS WAS
HAPPENING.
JEM
JEMELE AND I DISCUSSED THIS ON
THE SHOW.
THERE WERE NO OPTIONS.
I BELIEVE AND FROM WHAT I’M
HEARING THE NBA AND WNBA GAVE
HER A PLAQUE.
WE LOVE YOU BUT YOU HAVE TO GO
NOW.
SHE SAW IT COMING.