Marquee trio is apparently betting on a quick end to the NBA lockout.
The World All-Star Classic, featuring NBA stars currently locked out of regular season play, is still on, with its first game slated for Sunday in San Juan, Puerto Rico. However, the barnstorming-style global tour will just be a few stellar players short of what was originally promised.
ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard is reporting that LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul have elected not to join the tour, in which the players are set to participate in six games over two weeks covering four continents.
All three apparently are citing a desire to spend more time with their families during the lockout. The NBA lockout could end as early as this weekend, which might put most of the World All-Star Classic schedule in jeopardy.
The first game is set to be played Sunday in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Organizers confirmed Wednesday that Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant will headline the tour. Also set to participate are Amar'e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Chris Kaman, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard and Tyson Chandler.
But according to ESPN, Durant is wavering on playing the entire tour, which also includes stops in London, Macau and Melbourne, Australia. The numbers could be much smaller by the time the tour hits those stops.
Players are slated to make anywhere from six figures to $1 million for the six-game tour.
Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris
(Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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