NBA chooses New Orleans to host 2017 All-Star Game
— -- NEW ORLEANS -- The NBA has decided to hold the 2017 All-Star Game in New Orleans, the league announced Friday.
New Orleans replaces Charlotte, North Carolina, which was set to host the game until the NBA decided last month that it wouldn't hold its marquee midseason event in North Carolina because of a state law that limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people.
"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," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "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."
Unlike several other Southern states, Louisiana has not been swept up in legislative efforts to pass laws similar to that in North Carolina -- a fact Edwards has touted while lobbying the NBA to bring its All-Star Weekend to New Orleans for a third time.
The NBA's decision -- and the considerable economic boost it will bring -- provides a timely dose of good news on the heels of disastrous flooding across large swaths of southeast Louisiana that has killed at least 13 people and damaged an estimated 40,000 homes, mostly around Baton Rouge. Much of the New Orleans metropolitan area, including downtown where All-Star events would be centered, has been spared from the recent flooding.
"Even in the midst of a historic crisis, I am excited that the NBA has recognized how great the City of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana are," Edwards said in a statement. "In Louisiana, one of the strongest bonds that unites all of us is our passion for sports. Not only will NBA fans be able to participate in the All-Star Game events, they will also be a part of our world-famous Mardi Gras festivities. The fan experience can't get any better than that.
"While we move into the recovery phase of this disaster, I want to thank the NBA for the vote of confidence in our state to host this event and their support of the relief efforts currently underway."
This marks the third time New Orleans, which became an NBA city for the second time in 2002, has been selected to host the league's All-Star Game since 2008, less than three years after Hurricane Katrina struck. All-Star Weekend also came to the Big Easy in 2014, when New Orleans Pelicans forward and center Anthony Davis made his All-Star debut. Davis would play the All-Star Game in his home arena again if he is named to the Western Conference squad for a fourth straight season.
Hosting the All-Star Game provides a considerable boost to New Orleans, which has a history of hosting major sporting events but has seen its last two bids to host a Super Bowl come up short. New Orleans also bid unsuccessfully to host one of the NCAA Final Fours between 2017 and 2021.
The All-Star Game is scheduled for Feb. 19, which falls during the first weekend of Mardi Gras parades. That weekend presented somewhat less of a logistical challenge for New Orleans than the following weekend, when the largest parades roll in the days leading up to Fat Tuesday, which is Feb. 28.
A number of entertainment acts, including a Bruce Springsteen concert, have canceled North Carolina events because of its so-called HB2 law.
Louisiana hasn't enacted -- or debated -- a "bathroom bill" of the type passed in North Carolina. Edwards earlier this year issued an LGBT rights anti-discrimination order.
In the April order, the Democratic governor banned discrimination in state government based on sexual orientation and gender identity. State contracts also were required to comply, except contractors that are religious organizations. Edwards' anti-discrimination order was similar to orders enacted by two former Louisiana Democratic governors -- but he added language protecting against discrimination based on gender identity, a provision that protects transgender people.
Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry's office has issued an opinion claiming that Edwards' order has "no binding legal effect" and exceeds the governor's authority. But the order hasn't been challenged in court, and Edwards has vowed to follow it.
