Keegan Murray is not going to stand for the criticism that has been directed towards NBA stars for their lack of effort and competitiveness in the 2024 NBA-All Star Game this past Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Kings forward, who participated in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge over the weekend for a second consecutive year, addressed the topic after practice Tuesday, and as expected, the 23-year-old sided with his colleagues and made a valid point along the way.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on about it,” Murray said to reporters. “I feel like that game, if anything, is just a recognition for the guys in this league.
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“I feel like it’s not much about the game, it’s about what those guys are doing around the league in the regular season. So, I feel like to pinpoint one game is kind of doing a disservice to the guys that are playing.”
Sunday’s event, which culminated in a 211-186 Eastern Conference win, was the talk of the NBA’s celebratory weekend – and not because of the result setting an All-Star scoring record.
It was the supposed lack of defense and individual effort from the players that got the basketball community talking, including Murray.
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Murray was the lone Kings representative at All-Star Weekend, with Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox – Sacramento’s 2023 selections – omitted from Sunday’s game.
Last Friday, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft represented Team Tamika, recording five points from the floor while adding three rebounds and two assists in over 11 minutes.