NORTH CAROLINA: NBA Awards 2019 All-Star Game To Charlotte After Fake Repeal Of Anti-LGBT Hate Law

The Charlotte Observer reports:

The NBA and Charlotte have finalized a deal to bring the 2019 All-Star Weekend to the Queen City, the Observer has learned. The three-day event will be held on a Friday through Sunday, Feb. 15-17, climaxing in Sunday night’s All-Star Game. Most events, including the game and various skills competitions, will be held uptown at the Spectrum Center.

The NBA is expected to make an official announcement sometime Wednesday. Charlotte was originally awarded the 2017 All-Star Weekend, but the NBA rescinded that decision last summer in response to House Bill 2, the North Carolina law which the league and other organizations denounced as discriminatory against LGBT individuals.

Gov. Roy Cooper in March signed a compromise bill that repealed HB2 but banned local governments from passing anti-discrimination ordinances for three years. “All-Star weekend is an international event that will provide a tremendous economic impact to our community while showcasing our city, our franchise and our passionate Hornets fan base to people around the world,” Hornets owner Michael Jordan said in a statement Wednesday.