The NBA All-Star Game is coming to Cleveland…soon…well, in 2020…or later…maybe.
With Quicken Loans Arena set to undergo a nine-figure renovation project, the Cleveland Cavaliers have apparently been told their city will host the league’s All-Star festivities sometime in the near future.
From Cleveland.com’s Karen Farkas:
A newly-renovated Q will be the site of an NBA All-Star game, perhaps as early as 2020, according to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs have been promised the big event — which draws celebrities and millions of dollars in tourist spending — once the arena is renovated, said CEO Len Komoroski.
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum issued a statement on the game.
“The NBA is very supportive of the Quicken Loans Arena transformation project which we believe will greatly benefit the entire Cleveland community,” he said. “We understand the impact this project will have in continuing the great momentum we have all seen recently in the city. We look forward to holding our week of NBA All-Star events in Cleveland in the near future following the successful completion of The Q transformation project.”
The renovation will cost around $140 million, per Farkas, and is expected to wrap some time in 2019.
If the Cavaliers get the 2020 All-Star game–2017 is in New Orleans, 2018 is in Los Angeles, and Charlotte will get a crack at the 2019 All-Star Weekend if it gets its political act together—it’s a safe bet that LeBron James will still be good enough and popular enough to be named a starter.
Ah shit, who am I kidding?
Cleveland could end up not getting an All-Star game until 2035, and as long as a 50-year-old LeBron is still playing, he’d be named a starter.
So whenever Cleveland gets a chance to host the Association’s superstar exhibition, it’s bound to be a special time—a harbinger, if you will, of how far the city and team has come.
