Report: Charlotte Hornets set to host 2017 NBA All-Star Game
According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, Charlotte will be named as the host city for the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend after the city won its bid for the event on Monday. As per the article in the Observer, a formal announcement of Charlotte successful bid is to be made by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday.
The last time Charlotte hosted the All-Star Weekend was in 1991 when it was hosted in the Charlotte Coliseum. Last fall, the city agreed to pay 33.5 million dollars out of the 40 million for renovation work needed at Time Warner Cable Arena, home of the Charlotte Hornets to host the event. This move was a crucial step towards successfully winning the bid for the All-Star Weekend.
On a visit to Charlotte last fall, Commissioner Adam Silver felt the All-Star Weekend coming to the city was a sure thing after city officials agreed to the renovations.
“Personally I'm very excited about coming back here. I don't think there's any question it's going to happen,” Silver said in December. “Just a matter of what year.”
While agreeing to the renovations was a key factor behind Charlotte winning the bid, it doesn’t hurt to have arguably the best basketball player in Michael Jordan, part owner of the franchise, be the face of the Weekend.