If North Carolina’s House Bill 2 legislation is changed by 2019, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will prioritize bringing All-Star Weekend to Charlotte, according to Rick Bonnell and Katherine Peralta of the Charlotte Observer:
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver calls bringing the All-Star Game to Charlotte “a high priority” in 2019 after the league decided almost three months ago to move the 2017 event from Charlotte to New Orleans.
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“Our owners and teams are based all over the country in red states and blue states and purple states,” Silver said. “It was a strongly-held view that HB2 was inconsistent with the values of this league.”
Silver declined to say specifically what would have to change about HB2 for the NBA to follow through on its intent to host the 2019 All-Star Weekend in Charlotte. But he called it a misrepresentation that HB2 is predominately about which public bathroom transgender individuals are allowed to use.
“The issues that we are primarily focused on are acceptance and inclusiveness,” Silver said. “I think it’s a misnomer to call HB2 ‘the bathroom bill.’
“We’re committed to North Carolina. But for All-Star in particular, we want all members of our broader NBA family to feel comfortable here.
“My sense is people know exactly in what ways the bill needs to be addressed.”
2017 All-Star Weekend was set to take place in Charlotte until Silver pulled it out due to North Carolina’s refusal to change the HB2 law. 2017 All-Star Weekend will instead take place in New Orleans. In 2018, the festivities will occur in Los Angeles. 2019 is still open, and it sounds like Charlotte should be considered the frontrunner.
