Nearly a month after pulling the All-Star game from Charlotte, the NBA has chosen New Orleans as the week long extravaganza’s new host city.
“New Orleans is a world-class destination for sports and entertainment and we are very appreciative that the city is once again hosting our All-Star festivities,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a press release announcing the league’s decision. “We are grateful to Tom and Gayle Benson and the Pelicans organization and to Governor John Bel Edwards, Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation for inviting us back for what promises to be another exciting and memorable celebration of the game.”
This was a rather quick, if expected, decision by the NBA, but with all of the planning and logistics needed to host an All-Star game, the league needed to quickly find a new city. New Orleans seems like a natural fit as the weather is conducive to a mid-season break and the city has hosted the All-Star Game in the past, most recently in 2014.
The NBA’s decision to move the All-Star Game is still a striking one. Charlotte was chosen as the host city in 2015 but after North Carolina’s controversial House Bill 2 law, which discriminated against the LGBT community in the state, the NBA was quite vocal in its displeasure of the legislation.
But Charlotte’s loss is New Orleans’ gain and the 2017 All-Star Game should be like all things in the Big Easy, quite the celebration.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
