Despite online petition, Joe Ingles not interested in Skills Challenge

The people have spoken. They want Joe Ingles in the Skills Challenge during All-Star Weekend.

While the small forward is flattered by the nearly 2,500 fans who signed an online petition this week to get him in the challenge, it turns out he’s simply not interested.

“I don’t know who started it. I don’t know why they started it,” Ingles said in a release on Wednesday. “They should have known the answer. I’m getting some time off.”

Ingles is having a solid year with the Utah Jazz, averaging 11.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. He’s helped lead them to a productive start this year, too, as they’re currently in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference standings.

And most importantly, Ingles “is a gem and deserves to be recognized as the skillful NBA player that he is.”

A few of his teammates thought so, too.

While Ingles’ answer is obviously disappointing, it’s completely fair. By skipping the challenge, he’ll be able to take advantage of a nine-day break during the All-Star festivities, which is something many in the league are likely looking forward to.

“Even to have a couple days between games a few days ago, it does a world of difference,” Ingles said in the release. “Whatever [the All-Star break] is, five, six, seven days — if you use it the right way it can be really beneficial to kick the last portion of the season off.”

So what is he going to do instead?

“I’m going on vacation,” Ingles said in the release. “I’m going to spend time with my kids and my wife and that’s it.”

Hey, it was worth a shot, right?

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