The NBA made a point to those who don’t necessarily share their view of inclusion. That point was made when the Association and commissioner Adam Silver moved the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte to New Orleans after the controversial HB2 legislation was signed into law in North Carolina.
Said legislation specifically resulted in the state’s transgender population being required to use restrooms in public buildings and schools that match the sex on their birth certificate and not their gender identity. To the NBA, this was reason enough to avoid North Carolina completely.
Now that a compromise to the aforementioned HB2 legislation has been signed into law, it became apparent that the NBA was willing to allow North Carolina to host its mid-season classic (more on that here).
That’s now official. The 2019 NBA All-Star Game will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina.
https://twitter.com/rick_bonnell/status/867388934640328704
Considering the thirst for basketball in North Carolina, no one should be really surprised by this development. Once the state enacted a new law that didn’t necessarily split with the NBA’s core values, a return to Charlotte made a lot of sense.
Remember, North Carolina had faced tremendous backslash for inacting that now defunct law, especially from the NCAA itself. One wonder how that whole dynamic will change as well.