NBA wants to bring All-Star Game back to Charlotte soon

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that returning the All-Star Game to Charlotte in 2019 is “a high priority,” provided there’s a resolution to a North Carolina law that restricts the rights of LGBT people.

The NBA recently decided to move the 2017 All-Star Game to New Orleans because it didn’t believe it could successfully host the All-Star Game and related events in Charlotte under the climate created by the law known as House Bill 2.

Silver spoke following a ceremony in Charlotte in which Hornets owner Michael Jordan unveiled the first of three refurbished neighborhood basketball courts.

“We were in an unfortunate position that we were moving the game, 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 said.

In a statement to the Charlotte Observer in April, Jordan said the Hornets “are opposed to discrimination in any form, and we have always sought to provide an inclusive environment.”

Together, me and the Hornets, and the colleagues of the Hornets, will continue to work every day to reject violence, change perceptions and restore the trust between law enforcement and the community.