The National Basketball Association has taken a stand against discrimination.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the NBA has reportedly pulled the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, North Carolina in the wake of the state’s controversial “bathroom bill” legislation.
Sources: NBA on brink of pulling 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, with New Orleans emerging as a front-runner to host Feb. 19 game.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 21, 2016
Failure of North Carolina to change discriminatory legislation targeting the state’s LGBT community pushing NBA to abandon Charlotte game.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 21, 2016
Back on March 23rd, North Carolina’s legislature passed an executive order that reversed a Charlotte ordinance that had extended some rights to people who are gay or transgender. According to The Charlotte Observer, the new law, known as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act or House Bill 2 (HB2), repeals portions of Charlotte’s non-discrimination ordinance and makes it illegal for cities to expand upon those state laws. For HB2, it sets a statewide definition of classes of people who are protected against discrimination: race, religion, ethnicity, age, disability or color as classified on a person’s birth certificate.
For those who are transgender, legal right under state law to use public restrooms of the specific gender they identify with are revoked unless they take surgical and legal steps to change their gender on their birth certificates. Cities and counties, under the ordinance, are no longer allowed to establish a different standard. Many big cities such as Charlotte, Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Durham were among those that expanded upon state laws.
This law also affects people who aren’t gay or transgender, as it limits how people and groups pursue claims of discrimination due to religion, race, ethnicity, biological sex or disability within state courts. It also prohibits municipalities from setting a local minimum wage or creating regulations for city workers. However, Gov. Pat McCrory has stated that businesses aren’t limited by the bill and that private universities and companies can adopt new policies or continue following the existing policies.
Since the issue of the law, many suits have been filed going against the bill. Most notably, on May 9, 2016, the United States Department of Justice sued Governor Pat McCrory, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the University of North Carolina system stating that HB2 violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Violence Against Women Act.
In response to House Bill 2, the NBA issued a statement on April 15 stating the league is “dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all who attend our games and events” while also sending a warning that if things did not change, the NBA would have to pull out and relocate the three-day event. Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan also stated his disapproval with the law while providing assurance that everyone is welcome at Hornets events in a statement to The Charlotte Observer:
“As my organization has stated previously, the Charlotte Hornets and Hornets Sports & Entertainment are opposed to discrimination in any form, and we have always sought to provide an inclusive environment,” Jordan said in a statement to the Charlotte Observer in response to an interview request regarding HB2, the North Carolina law called by some as discriminatory toward the LGBT community.
“As has been the case since the building opened, we will continue to ensure that all fans, players and employees feel welcome while at work or attending NBA games and events at Time Warner Cable Arena.”
The NBA has always been a progressive organization, but having one of the league’s greatest players in its history speak out against the law places pressure on the North Carolina state government to change the amendment before it creates further scars against other big entertainment organizations (NFL’s Carolina Panthers, NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes to name a few) and their events.
With news that the NBA All-Star game is now set to relocate out of the city, the biggest question is what does this mean for Charlotte?
Heartbreak.
The last time the city previously hosted the annual star-studded showcase was in 1991 at the now-demolished Charlotte Coliseum. For a franchise that has been on the rise since the reincarnation back to the Hornets moniker from the Bobcats in 2013, this situation not only affects worldwide exposure for the city of Charlotte and basketball growth in Buzz City, but also affects different aspects that come along with hosting such a big event: tourism, jobs and direct spending at restaurants, bars, shops, leisure activities, and attractions.
The impact of hosting the three-day NBA All-Star event has also brought in a large amount of revenue to the host city, as seen in previous years. During the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend in New York, it generated at least $195 million for the city, according to a study done by NYC & Company. Taking a look at statistics of the five previous All-Star weekends in the NBA, MLB and NHL, the average economic impact that came with hosting the events came up to $117.2 million for the city.
All-Star Weekend Impact Comparison – Total Revenue
*NHL did not hold All-Star events in 2013 (lockout) and 2014 (Winter Olympics)
*Stats and info from Baseball Almanac, Bloomberg, NBA.com, Canadiansponsorshipforum.com
With the loss of the event, it leaves a big hole for a city, especially for the Hornets organization, as owner Michael Jordan had been hoping All-Star Weekend would be a signature event for the franchise and bring a city together over the sport of basketball.
For the NBA, the league has been about inclusion. Since current commissioner Adam Silver took over the league, he has led the NBA to a new era where the league and its players speak out on the biggest issues surrounding American society. If fans, employees or supporters of the league are being discriminated against by external forces, the league takes immediate action. Because of this progression, it has made the Association a model for other professional sports leagues to follow.
An official statement will be made by the league as soon as this week.
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Arthur Puu
Spark Sports Analyst/Editor
Follow Arthur Puu on Twitter @arthur_puu
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