Adam Silver Comments on Potentially Playing 2019 NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that awarding the 2019 All-Star Game to Charlotte, North Carolina, was a "high priority" provided necessary changes are made to the state's HB2 legislation.
"We were in an unfortunate position that we were moving the game," Silver told reporters in Charlotte, "so, for me, it is a high priority given the investments in the arena, given the investments in the team that Michael and his ownership group has made and the city and state have made in the Hornets."
Silver was making an appearance alongside Hornets owner Michael Jordan, who unveiled a refurbished neighborhood basketball court.
The city, which was slated to host the 2017 All-Star Game, was stripped of the honor in July because of legislation that's seen as discriminatory toward LGBT groups. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill in March that required citizens to use restrooms of the gender listed on their birth certificates. The legislation also featured a series of other provisions seen as potentially detrimental or outright discriminatory toward minority groups.
While McCrory made some alterations to the bill in July—in part because of pressure from the NBA—the league did not deem those changes satisfactory. Silver said:
"The issues that we are primarily focused on are those of acceptance and inclusiveness—and the bill goes far beyond directing what bathrooms people should use. From that standpoint, it has been misrepresented. Ultimately for us, it's about creating the right environment, specifically for a celebratory event like our All-Star team.
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New Orleans will host the 2017 All-Star Game as Charlotte's replacement, and the 2018 game has already been awarded to Los Angeles.
In a statement announcing Charlotte would not host the 2017 game, the league said it hoped the city would host the game ing 2019.
"It is also important to stress that the city of Charlotte and the Hornets organization have sought to provide an inclusive environment and that the Hornets will continue to ensure that all patrons—including members of the LGBT community—feel welcome while attending games and events in their arena," the statement read.
McCrory issued a statement denouncing the NBA's decision in July.
"The sports and entertainment elite, Attorney General Roy Cooper and the liberal media have for months misrepresented our laws and maligned the people of North Carolina simply because most people believe boys and girls should be able to use school bathrooms, locker rooms and showers without the opposite sex present," McCrory said.
More than 200 CEOs and heads of major businesses across the United States have called on McCrory and the state legislature to repeal HB2. The United States Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the state in May over the bill.
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