NBA’s All-Star Game Move Out of Charlotte Is Just (Good) Business

The NBA has decided to move their 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, North Carolina over the state’s recent “bathroom bill.” While many would love to debate the morality or political nature of the decision—-and almost certainly will a thousand times between now and the game itself—-all that will miss the point.

This is just business.

The phrase, “It’s not personal. It’s just business,” was made popular by Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone in The Godfather. For NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, that motto makes perfect sense as he continues to assert his dominance over the league in an almost-Corleone fashion–especially when it comes to Fredo’ing Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan, the league’s all-time most dominant star.

OK, enough Godfather references. If you’d like more, I’m sure there are copious amounts on a certain other site…

Let’s be clear here: This was not a decision made lightly or by consensus. The NBA owners did not convene to move the All-Star Game, nor is it likely that many will immediately appreciate the savvy of the move. NBA owners (like all sports owners) tend to be a rather homogenous lot and trend toward the right side of the proverbial political aisle. However, the span of time between HB2 (signed into state law in March) and the NBA’s decision showcase Silver taking his time to make sure everyone was on the same side–his side.

And why shouldn’t the league owners be on the side of Adam Silver? He’s presiding over record revenues which translate into record profits and the league is experiencing a heyday thanks to ratings wins across the board both for the regular season and the playoffs.

Those facts underscore the thesis that Silver’s All-Star move makes sense because of dollars and cents.

HB2 is severely unpopular—-even in North Carolina and even among conservatives. Recent polling has opposition for such bathroom bans at around 60 percent with only half of self-identified conservatives supporting and only about a third strongly supporting.

Such support for HB2–and, thus, opposition to the NBA’s All-Star Game move–is likely to trend toward people who look, talk and think a lot like those aforementioned mostly homogenous NBA owners. That means, those who are going to be angriest about this are going to be (statistically speaking) whiter, older and more conservative.

That’s why the NBA doesn’t care…

You see, the NBA’s demographics cut almost entirely against that specific grain. Viewership of basketball in the United States has not only been growing as of late, but it’s also been growing far more diverse in the process. Among all major American sports, the NBA trends younger and far more multicultural.

It is the millennial sport in a much more real way than MLB or even the NFL (which is more popular overall but has more stagnant growth among the younger demographics).

In a previous employment situation, this fact was a part of my daily life, as my company’s demographic lined up almost perfectly with the NBA’s. Though it might have been tempting to chase numbers around MLB, NASCAR, PGA and other sports with older/whiter demos, my company was content to rake in the dough because the NBA was not only a greater cash-cow at the moment, but also a more surefire bet to be so in the future.

The great point that people will miss about Silver and the NBA’s decision is that it wasn’t made because the NBA or Silver are progressive. It was made because the people who care about the NBA are progressive. Thus, it was made because the people who buy goods and services from the NBA’s major sponsors are progressive. It was made because it made business sense.

Coke, Paypal, Apple and other companies came out and condemned HB2 soon after it became law, and one immediately sees the demographic alignment with those companies as well. They did what they did because it was good business too, which is the same reason Coke can’t get enough NBA spokesmen and why Apple fights with rival Samsung over NBA brand ambassadors like they’re Nike and Adidas.

This is literally all just playing out the way anyone following the money always knew it would.

Laud Silver’s decision if that’s the way you lean…it’s your right.

Condemn Silver’s decision if that’s the way you lean…it’s your right.

Either way, don’t pretend this decision was personal in any way, shape or form. It wasn’t made to make a statement about LBGTQ issues, nor was it made to condemn North Carolina officials or voters. The decision wasn’t the result of sleepless nights or internal personal struggles.

It was just business, and really good business at that.