FILE – In this February 16, 2014, file photo, West Team’s Kevin Durant heads to the hoop against Team East’s Chris Bosh, left, and Carmelo Anthony during the NBA All-Star basketball game in New Orleans.
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The NBA said at the time that it hoped to bring the game back to Charlotte in 2019, if the law described by many as “anti-LGBT” is changed.
The NBA has said HB2 is discriminatory toward transgender people, who wish to use the intimate facilities that correspond with their gender identity, often those of the opposite sex.
The NBA is moving this season’s All-Star Game to New Orleans, as first reported by the Associated Press and confirmed by The Post’s Tim Bontemps, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Civil rights advocates have criticized the law as hostile toward transgender people and praised the National Basketball Association for punishing the state.
The league also announced it will make an undisclosed financial contribution and provide other unspecified support for flood victims in Louisiana, where at least 13 people have died, 30,000 people were rescued and 40,000 homes were damaged due to recent historic rainfall. For its part, New Orleans has tremendous experience in hosting large-scale, world-class events, including the Super Bowl, and last hosted the NBA’s annual celebration of the league in 2014.
The city will have a busy two weeks – the 2017 All-Star Game is slated for February 19 (meaning the dunk and 3-point contests will likely be the day before), while Mardi Gras will follow roughly a week later on February 28.
In addition to the All-Star Game, the rest of the events will go on as scheduled: the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge will take place on Friday, Feb. 17, followed by NBA All-Star Saturday Night, including the popular slam dunk contest, on Feb. 18.
The NBA announced it would move the 2017 NBA All-Star Game to New Orleans – that’s some sorely needed good news for the state.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory’s office called the move an example of “politically-correct hypocrisy gone mad”. Much of the New Orleans metropolitan area, including downtown where All-Star events would be centered, has been spared from the recent flooding.
NBA All-Star Weekend is actually a week-long series of events that lead up to the big game.
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Landrieu said it’s about 100 million dollars in economic impact.
