Despite recent the decision to hold off momentarily on moving the NBA’s 2017 All-Star game out of Charlotte, North Carolina, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on Thursday the legislature must change the law in order for the league to keep the game in the state.
“We’ve been, I think, crystal clear a change in the law is necessary for us to play in the kind of environment that we think is appropriate for a celebratory NBA event,” Silver told reporters on Thursday.
Silver also told ESPN’s “Mike and Mike” that rather than move the game right away, he would rather push for the state to repeal the law, especially given that the league has a team based in Charlotte, the Hornets.
“I’m only saying that whatever we do, we have to keep an eye on the fact that we have one of our 30 franchises operating in that state. We have a much bigger issue in North Carolina than the All-Star Game: It’s the ongoing operation of our team,” he said. “That’s why what’s most important to this league that there be a change in law. It would be easy to make a statement but I can’t cut-and-run here? I’m leaving my team there.”
Silver said that the league is “working very closely with the business community down there and the governor and the legislature to make it clear that it would be problematic for us to move forward with our All-Star Game if there is not a change in the law.”
“I believe they’re going to do the right thing,” he told ESPN. “And I think they’ve heard loud and clearly from the NBA, they know what’s at stake in terms of the All-Star Game … but I think at least at the moment, constructive engagement on our part is the best way to go as opposed to putting a gun to their head and saying ‘Do this, or else.'”
To bad he can’t threaten to move the Hornets out of the state. Unfortunately an owner is involved.
Yep, that would be great although a rumor, so to speak, could easily be circulated to that effect, eh?
I think his whole point is not to “threaten” anything, or give ultimatums. He is actually being diplomatic and mature about it, and it would not surprise me to see the NC legislature back off and repeal the law. I have not been a fan of cancelling soon upcoming shows and such (that just screws the fans, concession workers, etc.). But this event is 10 months away. Give the legislature a few weeks to do this. If they don’t you say “well, we tried, but now we have no choice but to move the venue”.
And no, you can’t take the team out of NC. That is totally an owner call, just like any businesses wanting to move is an owner call. For an NBA commissioner to force a team to move is way out of line. Totally different issue. Voluntary boycott is fine. Forced boycotts and such are nuts, more communist or fascist tactics.
Apparently took a week to get NBA-Legal to sign off.
jw1
You can’t tell an owner he’s got to sell his team, either. Yet Silver didn’t have any trouble making that call when it became necessary.
It’s early in the process and I’m not going to fault him for taking a go-slow approach. The fact he referenced the presence of a franchise in the state, however, makes clear he is making that part of the conversation. The politicians in NC better take notice, or they could lose some of those status symbols they’ve been so assiduously accumulating.