Nick Kyrgios Pulled From Rotterdam To Play The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Except He Didn’t Get Picked

by Tom Gainey | February 10th, 2017, 10:54 am
  • 7 Comments

Back in October just after his Shanghai meltdown, Nick Kyrgios contacted Rotterdam tournament director Richard Krajicek asking the former Wimbledon champion if he could get time off to play both Rotterdam and the NBA All-Star Celebrity game.

Krajicek and the tournament turned down Kyrgios’s request so Australian turned down the tennis event opting instead to play to celebrity All-Star game.

“Unfortunately this All-Star weekend is the same weekend as the final in Rotterdam,” tournament organizers told CNN.


“For that reason Kyrgios has asked us if there was a possibility to allow him to play there. Since basketball is his biggest passion, we understand his dilemma, as this is truly a unique opportunity for him.”

Added Krajicek, “We want a top tennis player seen on the court. Kyrgios prefers his passion beyond his profession.”

Except when celebrity teams were announced yesterday for next Friday’s game, Kyrgios’s name was nowhere to be found!

Karma!

Michael Smith’s West Team
Miles Brown (actor)
Tom Cavanagh (actor)
Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks owner)
Baron Davis (NBA legend)
Andy Grammer (recording artist)
Jiang Jinfu (actor, model)
Anthony Mackie (actor)
Romeo Miller (actor, recording artist)
Hasan Minhaj (actor, comedian)
Master P (actor, recording artist)
Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks)
Aarón Sánchez (celebrity chef)

Jemele Hill’s East Team
Brandon Armstrong (former NBA D-League player and social media star)
Win Butler (musician)
Nick Cannon (actor, recording artist)
Rachel DeMita (NBA2K TV personality)
Ansel Elgort (actor, recording artist)
Marc Lasry (Milwaukee Bucks owner)
Caleb McLaughlin (actor)
Peter Rosenberg (media personality)
Oscar Schmidt (Basketball legend)
Lindsay Whalen (WNBA player)
Jason Williams (NBA legend)
Kris Wu (recording artist)


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7 Comments for Nick Kyrgios Pulled From Rotterdam To Play The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Except He Didn’t Get Picked

Dennis Says:

” asking the former Wimbledon champion if he could get time off to play both Rotterdam and the NBA All-Star Celebrity game.”

I’m confused by this explanation. How could he have played both if they are both the same weekend? Obviously he might not have made the Rotterdam finals, but he couldn’t know that for sure beforehand, so he had to pick one or the other. Playing both would not have been an option.

Anyway…LOL at Kyrgios not being picked for the game. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

Who cares anyway about some “celebrity” game anyway. The only people I recognize in those lineups are Mark Cuban and Win Butler!

February 10th, 2017 at 1:16 pm


Chrisford1 Says:

Be nice though to have a tennis player selected to show how athletic and grounded in other sports certain players are. Gael Monfils is very good, and very entertaining and from what I heard, he doesn’t go walkabout in B-ball games. Andy Murray plays a lot of basketball. Djokovic and Tsongas play, like guard position, and are very good shooters.
With Kyrgios, I hope he does get an American NBA invitation and does so well one team offers him a contract and a new sports career instead of tennis.
His talent is wasted on tennis. Just ask him.

February 10th, 2017 at 1:51 pm


Margot Says:

Andy is a big fan of the team Miami Heat but he doesn’t play much basketball. Football is his other sport and he plays 5 a side if he gets the opportunity.
Was good enough as a teen to be offered a trial with a club.

February 10th, 2017 at 2:05 pm


skeezer Says:

I don’t see any professional athlete( other the BB ) that is playing. What does that say?

February 10th, 2017 at 2:17 pm


Dennis Says:

Chrisford1: LOL. You must be joking, right? There is absolutely zero chance whatsoever that Kyrgios ever gets an NBA tryout, much less gets offered a contract. Not even for the Developmental League.

February 10th, 2017 at 2:40 pm


Dan Says:

Who wrote the falsehood in the Trunk last week? It says Shapovalov intentionally hit the ref in the face. Anyone watching the match knows that it was an accident, and he had no beef with any refereeing during the match – he swatted the ball away in frustration. Writing that is libel.

February 10th, 2017 at 3:10 pm


Chrisford1 Says:

Of course I am joking, Dennis. Only hoping. If Nick feels tennis is holding him back from a glorious hoops career, he should go for b-ball. I’m not thinking he is talented enough to even get a college spot, let alone the NBA or Aussie b-ball or the European leagues.

February 10th, 2017 at 7:11 pm

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