Regardless of who wins the top individual awards at various events this week during NBA All-Star 2017, on Saturday evening the league’s commissioner already sounded like he wanted to hand out an MVP award – to the city of New Orleans.
With the NBA needing to change its location for the annual midseason showcase event on relatively short notice, the Crescent City was able to step forward and host the game with no hesitation. The city’s vast big-event experience of holding numerous Super Bowls and two recent NBA All-Star Games proved invaluable, according to Adam Silver.
“As always, they have been fantastic hosts,” Silver said of New Orleans. “They accomplished the impossible, on short notice, creating the hotel rooms and arena availability to make this work. A special thank you to Mitch (Landrieu) and Governor Edwards. Also, (Pelicans owners) Tom and Gayle Benson – when we went to them and said we needed to move the All-Star Game, they moved mountains to make this work, along with Dennis Lauscha, the president of the Pelicans, as well as the entire Pelicans organization.”
Silver cited a relationship between the NBA and New Orleans that has been mutually beneficial over the past decade-plus, dating back to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Silver said the Big Easy remembered how the league helped keep the franchise in the city and assisted greatly in its ability to find a permanent foothold in Louisiana.
“(New Orleans) said to us, ‘If you find yourself in a situation where you’re on short notice, the NBA has been great for our community, you all were there for us after Katrina; we’ll be there for you.’ ” Silver noted. “They welcomed us with open arms and everything’s working out well, but it wasn’t easy. They had to work with other groups that otherwise would’ve been here. They shifted their dates. Thank you to a few musical acts who moved out of the arena and the facilities in town to make room for us. It was not easy, but there was very much a can-do attitude.”
Asked if there have been any issues in terms of holding the All-Star festivities on a weekend when Mardi Gras is already in full swing in downtown New Orleans, Silver smiled, saying, “At least so far, we are coexisting very well with Mardi Gras. Our guests are having a great time partying together, whether you’re here for Mardi Gras, the All-Star festivities, or both. When we made that decision to leave North Carolina, we recognized there were very few cities in America that could host an event of this magnitude on short notice.”
Silver proudly noted that the league’s annual Day of Service actually began in 2008 at All-Star in New Orleans. It’s now become a staple of All-Star.
“It was initially a response to Katrina and our attempt to contribute to the community, when we brought our All-Star Game back here,” Silver said. “It’s become a regular feature in every city we go to, but it’s increasingly important and impactful here. Roughly 2,500 of our guests participated in the activities (Friday) in the community, building playgrounds, refurbishing courts, all kinds of great activities.”
The NBA also visited locations on the Day of Service that were affected by the recent destructive tornadoes in the area.
“There were additional sites we added on short notice, working with Mayor Landrieu,” Silver said. “My heart goes out to those families who were directed impacted by those tornadoes. I was pleased we were able to add those locations.”