With the new season of MLS around the corner, USMNT and Nashville SC defender will miss out on an opportunity to play an NBA Celebrity All-Star game. The NBA Celebrity game is due to take place amidst the preseason preparations for the MLS side.

USMNT defender Walker Zimmerman, who played basketball during high school, was invited to the Celebrity All-Star game. However, the player has to snub the plans to participate in the game with a preseason friendly on the same day as the NBA game. 

6’3″ tall USMNT defender to snub NBA Celebrity All-Star game

MLS clubs are preparing for the new season, commencing on the 25th of this month. They are due to play preseason friendlies during their preparation for the new season. Nashville SC is no exception to the preseason and will play four friendlies to prepare for the new MLS season. 

It will be the last phase of preparations for Nashville, where they will play against Eastern Conference opponents Orlando City SC, New England Revolution, Philadelphia Union, and FC Cincinnati in Florida. The last friendly against Cincinnati is on 17th February, the same day the NBA Celebrity All-Star game will be played. Zimmerman can’t be present in two places on the same day. Hence, he decided to snub the chance to play in an NBA game.

The 6’3″ taller USMNT now has missed a chance to represent two sports, basketball, and soccer, on the main stage. However, he will get a chance in the future to play in the NBA Celebrity game if the MLS schedule doesn’t clash with the game. 

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Zimmerman had an obsession with soccer, baseball, and basketball, according to his mother, when he was in school. He wanted to become a professional athlete. The USMNT defender chose soccer as his career option despite being good at basketball in his high school days. US Soccer rewarded him for his efforts in soccer when the 29-year-old represented USMNT at the FIFA World Cup last year. 

A glance at Walker Zimmerman’s career

FC Dallas selected Zimmerman in MLS super draft 2013. He played for the franchise from 2013 to 2017 for five seasons before he moved to Los Angeles FC for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The player was traded to expansion club Nashville SC in 2020 and has been at the club since then. He became the only fourth American defender in MLS history to have a Designated Player deal.

Zimmerman is with Nashville until 2025 after the new contract. He has scored the club’s first goal in the history of MLS. On the international level, he represented the United States at U-18, U-20, U-23, and senior levels. He was part of the USMNT World Cup roster. His tackle on Gareth Bale, which gave Wales a chance to level the game, didn’t go down well with the fans and pundits. 

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Let us know your thoughts on the new MLS season and the NBA Celebrity All-Star game that will take place this month.