NBA Awards Houston Right to Host 2013 All-Star Weekend
Houston will serve as the host for next year's NBA All-Star Weekend. It's the third time Houston will host the event, previously holding it in 1989 and 2006.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports reports the league will announce the decision tomorrow after hinting toward the decision during the league's extended lockout before the season began.
What It Means
The NBA must have thought Houston did an amazing job handling the high-profile event to reward the city again so quickly. There's always competition to land All-Star Weekend and the tourist surge that comes along with it, so this is a big victory for Houston and the Rockets.
There could be some backlash throughout the league, especially if other franchises were making a big push, since Houston hosted it so recently. That's a potential firestorm David Stern and Co. will surely be prepared for should it arrive.
Otherwise, reaction to this official announcement should be pretty low-key. Orlando is still in the spotlight for now as it prepares to host this year's game and skills challenge at the end of the month.
Once that ends, then the focus can turn to Houston again.
The city will need to have some tricks of its sleeve to top the 2006 event, but that's why the organizers have more than a year to get ready. It has to be special.
What Happens Next?
The preparations begin. Major events like All-Star Weekend take an entire year to get everything ready for the rush of people, so Houston will need to start getting the plan formulated right away to ensure it all goes off without a hitch.
Everybody involved, from the team to city officials, was able to work together to put on quite a show last time, so there should be confidence they can pull it off again.
The Rockets have a good, young team, so the weekend would be even more exciting if there are plenty of local stars on hand to play in the game. Kevin Martin and Luis Scola are two names that immediately come to mind.
It's time for Houston to shine on the big stage once again, but first, 12 months of hard work to get ready officially start tomorrow.
