Charlotte Selected to Host NBA All-Star Game in 2017
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CHARLOTTE, NC – It’s official: the NBA All-Star Game will return to Charlotte in 2017. League officials and city leaders made the announcement Tuesday.
Charlotte Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan says the buzz surrounding the return of the Hornets name is one of the reasons the NBA chose Charlotte. “This was supposed to be a surprise today. It’s amazing that it’s not,” Jordan said.
Another factor was money. Time Warner Cable Arena is set to undergo $33 million in renovations approved last year by City Council. Events will also be held at Bojangles Coliseum, which is undergoing $16 million in upgrades.
But city leaders say it’s worth the price tag. All-Star weekend is expected to have a more than $100 Million economic impact.
Charlotte will host the NBA All-Star Game and CIAA tournament on back-to-back weekends.
“So when you add those two weeks together, these two weeks will be almost as big as the
Democratic National Convention,” says Tom Murray, with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says Charlotte proved it was committed to get the game here.
“I think the communities that make the best All-Star hosts are those that are all in terms of involvement in all aspects of the city,” Silver says.
It will be the second All-Star weekend in Charlotte after 1991’s game at the old Coliseum.
“Players love coming to the city of Charlotte, and then to have a week here of the All-Star game, they’re gonna play hard to try and get here,” says former NBA player Dell Curry.
