CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Commissioner of the NBA says no decision has been made in regard to the location of the 2017 All-Star Game, which is scheduled to take place at Time Warner Cable Arena in uptown Charlotte.
There had been a number of requests from various groups and even a bipartisan group of US Senators to move the game because of House Bill 2, the new law limiting protections for members of the LGBT community.
Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday afternoon at the league owners meeting in New York, "The was no discussion of moving the All Star game."
He went on to add, "The best role for the league to play here is through constructive engagement towards change, not setting deadlines, not making ultimatums."
The All-Star game will mean hundreds of millions of dollars to the Charlotte area.
It will be the single-largest event since the city hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2012.
The Charlotte Chamber of Commerce issued a statement saying, "We appreciate and are grateful for the NBA's decision to keep the All Star game in Charlotte. We recognize that they, and others, have an expectation that more work needs to be done."
"We appreciate the support of the NBA for its belief in the people of Charlotte and North Carolina," said Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts.
The NBA released a statement following Silver's announcement, clarifying that a decision the game's location has not been finalized.
“During a media availability earlier today following the NBA’s Board of Governors meeting, Commissioner Adam Silver clarified that the NBA remains deeply concerned about its ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina, in light of recent legislation that discriminates against the LGBT community. At no time did Adam affirm that the league would not move the All-Star Game; rather he stressed repeatedly that the legislation is problematic, that we feel it is best to engage with the community to work towards a solution, that change is needed and we are hopeful that it will occur.”
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority released new figure showing seven upcoming events in the city have been canceled because of concerns over HB2.
Last weekend, Bruce Springsteen canceled a show in Greensboro, and PayPal said it would no longer bring 400 new jobs to Charlotte.