Opinion: NBA Relocates All Star Game in Name of Equality
posted by Zsanae Lewis | September 8, 2016 | In Opinion, Sports
Months after the N.C. General Assembly passed House Bill 2, the NBA decided to relocate the All Star game from Charlotte to New Orleans. House Bill 2, the so-called “bathroom bill,” limits the ability to pass anti-discrimination protecting LGBT people and mandates transgender people use the bathroom that corresponds to the gender on their birth certificate.
I agree with the NBA moving the All Star 2017 game to Louisiana because NBA policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness that prohibit discrimination based on race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard. Their statement announcing the move stated “the long-standing core values of our league” include “diversity, inclusion, fairness and respect for others but also the willingness to listen and consider opposing points of view,” according to their website. People should be treated fairly and not discriminated upon any matter.
Moving the All Star game to Louisiana affects Charlotte financially. Local businesses have been hit and hotels are trying to find ways to book rooms and event spaces that would have been booked in February. According to the Charlotte Observer, this could result in as much as $100 million loss in revenue. The Charlotte arena has also lost out on entertainers booking shows, with some now canceling shows.
Pulling the 2017 All Star game from Charlotte could prohibit other sporting events from being hosted there and Charlotte could lose even more money. Even though House Bill 2 has brought in social and major financial losses, the league might hold the 2019 All-Star Game in Charlotte if the law is changed.
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