2017 NBA All-Star Weekend: Charlotte Officially Named Host City

For the first time in more than a quarter-century, the NBA All-Star Game will return to Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reported Monday that the city has been awarded the 2017 All-Star Game, its first hosting duties since 1991. The team announced the news on Tuesday. 

Charlotte has been a favorite for either the 2017 or 2018 game for months. The Hornets made a formal bid last August that included arena renovation plans that will help the city prepare for the weekend. Grantland's Zach Lowe pointed to the weather as one factor that could make Charlotte a solid host:

In December, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said those improvements to Time Warner Cable Arena pushed Charlotte to the forefront of discussions. 

“We want to award them as early as possible so there would be maximum opportunity to plan,” Silver said, per Bonnell. "I met here with (Hornets president) Fred Whitfield and (team owner) Michael Jordan earlier this afternoon to discuss precisely this, among other issues. It’s a matter of what’s precisely the timetable now for the renovations to the building.”

The city of Charlotte agreed to pay $33.5 million of the arena's $40 million renovation, which is ongoing. The most noticeable change thus far has been an intricate court redesign that coincided with the team's rebranding back to the Hornets nickname. 

"We are grateful for their backing and look forward to once again having the chance to bring international acclaim to the city of Charlotte," team president Fred Whitfield said in a statement last August. "With the return of the Hornets name and our team on the rise, we feel like this is the perfect time for Charlotte to host an All-Star Game and we are confident in our chances for success."

Additional renovations include improvements to locker rooms, seating accommodations and additional aesthetic changes. The NBA awarding Charlotte All-Star festivities means it has faith those changes will be implemented by February 2017. 

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