The NBA announced on Wednesday that the 2019 NBA All-Star Game will be hosted by Charlotte. The decision comes after the NBA moved the 2017 All-Star Game to New Orleans following backlash to North Carolina’s controversial HB2 bill that discriminated against transgender people.
The bill was repealed, although there were still criticisms to the repeal, and the NBA has agreed to bring the All-Star Game back to the Queen City. NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement on the decision, noting the concerns about the repeal and insisting that the NBA will install anti-discriminatory policies that will become the standards for all All-Star events in the future in all locations.
Here are Silver’s full comments:
For three decades, the NBA has had a home in Charlotte. Generations of families have attended games there, and fans from many different walks of life have come together to share a passion for a team that is an anchor in the community.
We have decided to award NBA All-Star 2019 to Charlotte based on this deep connection and the belief that we can honor our shared values of equality and inclusion, and we are excited to bring the All-Star Game back to Charlotte for the first time in 28 years.
While we understand the concerns of those who say the repeal of HB2 did not go far enough, we believe the recent legislation eliminates the most egregious aspects of the prior law. Additionally, it allows us to work with the leadership of the Hornets organization to apply a set of equality principles to ensure that every All-Star event will proceed with open access and anti-discrimination policies.
Michael Jordan, the owner of the Hornets, released a statement noting his excitement with the NBA’s decision.
Michael Jordan in a release: “We are thrilled the league has awarded NBA All-Star 2019 to the city of Charlotte."
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) May 24, 2017
While Silver and the NBA seemed comfortable with the HB2 repeal legislature, not everyone was buying the NBA’s rationale for returning the event to the state of North Carolina.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (left) and the editorial board of the Charlotte Observer (right) have different views of the HB2 “repeal." pic.twitter.com/bTP4Ivjqvy
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) May 24, 2017
The HB2 bill and the protection of LGBTQ rights in North Carolina (and elsewhere) remain a significant issue. The NBA insists that they will use the opportunity to institute policies of inclusion, but the concern isn’t about what the NBA will do.
The NBA (and others like the NCAA) showed that they can force change by removing events that bring in money to the state’s economy, but by bringing the All-Star Game back, there is concern that — even if the league insists policies of equality and inclusion — it sends a message that the discriminatory policies still allowed by the repeal legislature are okay.
