The 2017 NBA All Star Game is scheduled to take place in Charlotte on the weekend of February 19th but the NBA is reportedly on the verge of switching locations.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the league is seriously considering pulling the All-Star festivities out of Charlotte due to North Carolina's failure to change discriminatory legislation against the LGBT community.
NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, has been vocal about his stance against the North Carolina legislation and it finally appears that pulling the ASG from Charlotte is imminent.
If Silver and the NBA do decide to change locations, New Orleans has reportedly emerged as the front-runner to host the 2017 All Star Game.
UPDATE:
The league has officially announced that the 2017 NBA All-Star Game will not be held in Charlotte. New Orleans is still the front runner to host the festivities on the weekend of February 19th.
“The NBA has decided to relocate the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte with the hope of rescheduling for 2019…
“Our week-long schedule of All-Star events and activities is intended to be a global celebration of basketball, our league, and the values for which we stand, and to bring together all members of the NBA community – current and former players, league and team officials, business partners, and fans. While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2.
“We are particularly mindful of the impact of this decision on our fans in North Carolina, who are among the most passionate in our league. It is also important to stress that the City of Charlotte and the Hornets organization have sought to provide an inclusive environment and that the Hornets will continue to ensure that all patrons – including members of the LGBT community – feel welcome while attending games and events in their arena…"
Hornets owner, Michael Jordan, also addressed the situation in this statement:
“We understand the NBA’s decision and the challenges around holding the NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte this season. There was an exhaustive effort from all parties to keep the event in Charlotte, and we are disappointed we were unable to do so. With that said, we are pleased that the NBA opened the door for Charlotte to host All-Star Weekend again as soon as an opportunity was available in 2019. We want to thank the City of Charlotte and the business community for their backing throughout this entire process, starting with the initial bid. We are confident that they will be just as supportive and enthusiastic for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game.”
