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Report: NBA All-Star Game moving to New Orleans in 2017

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Feb 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chairman, Charlotte Hornets Michael Jordan (R) holds a jersey as Chairman of the board, MLSE Larry Tanenbaum (L) looks on during a stoppage in play in the second half during the NBA All Star Game between the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chairman, Charlotte Hornets Michael Jordan (R) holds a jersey as Chairman of the board, MLSE Larry Tanenbaum (L) looks on during a stoppage in play in the second half during the NBA All Star Game between the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NBA All-Star Game appears to have found a home. After announcing its decision to move the game from Charlotte, the NBA has settled on New Orleans.

The NBA All-Star Game will officially make its move to New Orleans in February 2017, the Associated Press reports.

The game was originally to be played in Charlotte, N.C., but the league moved the game in light of the controversy over the passage of HB-2, a North Carolina state law that prohibited cities and municipalities from creating ordinances to protect LGBTQ residents from discrimination. The law has received national attention for its so-called bathroom ordinance, protecting transgender residents’ rights to use the bathroom of their sexual identification.

These are all debates that are raging throughout the United States and have become a flashpoint during the national election. The NBA injected itself into the debate when it, like several other organizations, threatened to pull business from the state unless the law was changed. The NBA is one of the first organizations to pull a major event like the NBA All-Star Game from the state.

The NBA’s decision was met with equal amounts of debate. When the league made the announcement though, it stated its intention to continue working with North Carolina to improve the situation so the All-Star Game could return in 2019.

New Orleans quickly emerged as a viable replacement for Charlotte once the NBA announced the move. The city has hosted the All-Star Game three times, most recently in 2014. It is widely praised for its ability to host the game, featuring ample convention space and plenty of things for players, media and fans to do throughout the city. The fact the weekend falls on the first weekend of Mardi Gras will not make anyone complain.

Louisiana has had some issues with LGBTQ discrimination in the past, and still has several laws that would make some uneasy. But Governor John Bel Edwards has tried to take several steps through executive orders to protect LGBTQ residents in state government and in state contracts.

The NBA may make this something of a “social games” to raise awareness and initiate conversations not only on the LGBTQ issue, but also on community relations with police.

The NBA has seen itself become a league that is at the forefront of several social issues too. Carmelo Anthony hosted a town hall in Los Angeles in the wake of a number of police shootings that have gained national attention. Several NBA players have spoken up about this issue.

Louisiana was at the center of the recent discussions on police shootings of young, black men with the death of Alton Sterling. It is also a flashpoint for violence of police with the recent mass shooting of police officers in nearby Baton Rouge.

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The league seems to have trended its way there. Moving the game originally was certainly something of a political statement on its own. New Orleans is a city that can quickly host the game. It has done a good job hosting the All-Star Game in the past. It seemed to be the easy and inevitable choice for the league.

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