The National Basketball Association has officially chosen New Orleans as the replacement city to host the 2017 NBA All-Star game.
The move comes after the league announced that the All-Star Weekend festivities would be moved from Charlotte because of North Carolina’s controversial House Bill 2, which advocates maintain is the worst piece of anti-LGBT legislation in the nation.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement in announcing the move.
“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. 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.”
Chad Griffin, president of the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization the Human Rights Campaign, commended the NBA for choosing a city with LGBTQ protections as host of the All-Star Game.
“By moving the 2017 All-Star Game to New Orleans, the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver have sent a clear message to lawmakers in North Carolina and across the country that discrimination against LGBTQ people has consequences and will not be tolerated. New Orleans’ explicit LGBTQ non-discrimination protections will ensure all NBA employees, players, and fans who participate in the All-Star Game are protected from discrimination. Governor Pat McCrory and state lawmakers should use this as an opportunity to halt their assault on the people, reputation, and economy of North Carolina, and work toward replacing HB2 with commonsense non-discrimination protections. We look forward to the day when all North Carolinians can live their lives free from discrimination, and Charlotte is able to welcome back the All-Star Game.”
Governor Pat McCrory’s communication director Josh Ellis issued the following statement regarding the decision to move the All-Star Game to New Orleans.
“According to his own statements, Commissioner Silver has no credibility in telling America that he’s more ‘comfortable’ playing a basketball game in the People’s Republic of China with its oppressive human rights record, rather than the 9th most populous state in the U.S.A. This is another classic example of politically-correct hypocrisy gone mad. We are proud that Louisiana has joined 21 other states that are fighting for basic privacy expectations for our children and families in school restrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities.”
This will mark the third time the All-Star Game will be hosted in New Orleans since the team moved to the Crescent City from Charlotte before the 2002 season.
When announcing the decision to move the 2017 festivities from Charlotte, Commissioner Adam Silver left open the possibility of returning to the Queen City for the 2019 All-Star Weekend.
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