Hornets and City Prepare for 2019 NBA All-Star Game

CHARLOTTE, NC – This time next year the biggest names in the NBA will lace up in the Queen City. The 2019 All-Star Game is expected to bring a big boost to Charlotte’s economy.

“It puts us on the world stage. Everybody watches it. And everybody’s excited about it. Not just in Charlotte, but in the whole world,” says basketball fan Christopher Agbamuche.

His favorite event is the slam dunk contest.

“It just shows the human agility. I mean you have to be extra-human to do some of those things,” Agbamuche says.

The NBA pulled the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte after lawmakers passed controversial House Bill 2.

“The All-Star Game says a lot for us. To see that we’ve been able to get ourselves back on the map,” explains Noah Barrow, managing partner at Capital Restaurant Group, which owns Mellow Mushroom in Uptown Charlotte.

He says the weekend could mean a big boost for business.

“You take a weekend like that, we go from may a $40,000 weekend to upwards of $100,000,” Barrow says.

The city has looked at previous host cities to judge what to expect.

New Orleans attracted nearly 55,000 visitors when it hosted the game in 2014, with a $106 Million economic impact.

Orlando had almost 37,000 visitors in 2012 with a $95 Million dollar economic impact.

“It helps, you know, not only the city. But helps as far as the economy in the city for all of us. Not just me, but everyone around,” Barrow says.