NBA pulls 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte Over Transgender Bathroom Law, focuses on New Orleans

[SirLinksALot]

SOURCE: YAHOO NEWS

URL: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-pulls-2017-all-star-game-from-charlotte-focuses-on-new-orleans-190148437.html

by:Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical


Without any movement by state legislators in North Carolina to change newly enacted laws targeted at the LGBT community, the NBA on Thursday decided to pull the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte.

“Our week-long schedule of All-Star events and activities is intended to be a global celebration of basketball, our league, and the values for which we stand, and to bring together all members of the NBA community – current and former players, league and team officials, business partners, and fans,” the league said in a released statement.

The NBA is focused on the New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center as the host for All-Star Weekend and the All-Star Game on Feb. 19, league sources told The Vertical.

For now, there are still other cities trying to lure the All-Star Game, sources said.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver had threatened to move All-Star Weekend out of Charlotte unless a discriminatory North Carolina law aimed at the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community was changed – and time to do so ran out because of the logistics and planning the NBA needs to run its marquee midseason event, league sources said.

The issue is centered on North Carolina’s House Bill 2, a law that mandates transgender people use public restrooms corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificates. The law also omits LGBT people from North Carolina’s anti-discrimination protections, forbids local governments from widening LGBT protections and excludes all forms of workplace discrimination lawsuits from North Carolina state courts.

“While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2,” the league said. “… We look forward to re-starting plans for our All-Star festivities in Charlotte for 2019 provided there is an appropriate resolution to this matter.”

Charlotte Hornets owner, basketball legend, Michael Jordan had been counting on All-Star Weekend as a signature event for his franchise, and the economic impact of losing the All-Star Game for the franchise and region promises to be dramatic.

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[Chieftain]

Charlotte plays lousy B-ball anyway.

 

[mountaineer]

Utter insanity.

[TomSea]

It's too bad but I'm seeing Coach "K" calls the HB2 bill "embarrassing".

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2016/07/20/duke-mike-krzyzewski-north-carolina-hb2-bathroom-bill-mark-gottfried/87342344/

I can't go along with that, he is training the US Olympic basketball team in Las Vegas.

The Olympics are a good idea, the way they are with performance using drugs by athletes, commercialism is sad though. Too bad, maybe there are some good sports.

[jmyrlefuller]

Extortion's a powerful thing, isn't it?

If I'm Michael Jordan, I'm putting my team on strike until the decision is reversed.

[Ancient]

If the NBA is a federally approved monopoly then they should stay out of politics.  They should be summoned to a hearing to explain why they are picking and choosing what states receive benefits of their tax benefits and federal help.

[mountaineer]

North Carolina resident Franklin Graham commented via Facebook:

It’s a shame that the NBA announced today that they’re pulling their 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte, NC. The fact is this—the North Carolina legislators and Governor Pat McCrory are exactly right for protecting the state’s women and children from pedophiles and sexually disturbed people who are looking for opportunities to take advantage. This is basic common sense, but the NBA cares more about being perceived as politically correct and catering to sexual activists who are trying to use this situation as a scare tactic to gain leverage to change North Carolina’s law.

I think the NBA needs to realize that the safety of women and children is far more important than a ball game. They have every right to have their games anywhere they chose, but to move out of North Carolina to try to “punish” the state for protecting women and children is wrong.

There are millions of Christians who love to watch basketball—and I’m one of them—but I can tell you now, I’m not going to watch their All-Star Game and I hope thousands of others will tell them that they’re not going to watch either. You can let the NBA know on their Facebook page that you’re not going to watch. And we need to let the sponsors of this All-Star Game know that we don’t agree with this decision and don't have to buy their products.

[Charlespg]

To hell  with the NBA and anyone who supports kiddie diddlers and perverts having access to womans bathrooms..societies safety  comes first 

[Variant]

I've been an NBA League Pass subscriber since 2002.  Canceled today and sent a letter to DirecTV and the NBA.

[sinkspur]

How this law in regards to bathrooms was ever going to be enforced is beyond me. 

But, NC decided to take a stand, and this is the result.  And it won't be the last big economic hit the state will suffer.

[Variant]

Preventing  local governments from making laws telling private businesses what bathroom policies they must have?

Pretty easy to enforce, actually.

The state of Louisiana is suing the government due to the draconian department of education requirements on bathrooms... I guess the NBA doesn't care about that?  There may have been some other reason the league was trying to get out of it's Charlotte deal and this provided cover.  In any case, they've lost my business.