Michael Jordan and the Hornets have officially submitted a bid to host the NBA All-Star Weekend in either 2017 or 2018. New York and Toronto will host the 2015 and 2016 events respectively; the Hornets last hosted the midseason extravaganza in 1991. Per the Charlotte Observer:
While it’s been no secret the Hornets are interested in hosting the annual mid-February event at Time Warner Cable Arena, there are potential complications. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said during a March visit to Charlotte that an All-Star bid would be contingent on the city agreeing to various upgrades to the arena. […] “It’s part of the understanding here that the building remain state of the art,” Silver said in March. “Nothing dramatic is needed. But certainly an upgrade to the scoreboard, some things with the suites and the lighting.”
Under lease terms between the city and the Hornets, who manage the nine-year-old publicly-funded arena, the parties will intermittently review keeping the facility up to date. The team and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority compiled a list of potential improvements that would cost nearly $42 million.
“I’d love to bring the All-Star Game back here,” Silver said. “This is a wonderful community, a hotbed of basketball, not just pro but college as well.”
