Houston Poor Choice For 2013 All-Star Game
For the second time in seven years, the city of Houston will host All-Star Weekend, NBA officials formally announced two weeks ago.
The 2013 festivities, which will take place February 15-17, mark the second time since 2006 that the Toyota Center will take center stage during All-Star Weekend and the third time overall Houston will welcome the event.
But is Houston the best choice when a wonderful American city like Portland has never hosted the weekend-long party? It’s worth examining as 2012’s edition takes off in Orlando this Friday.
Despite the potential economic surge, past successes, and my selfish motivations, I don’t think so.
Of course, the city of Houston is well rehearsed in the act of putting on major sporting spectacles. It has hosted a Super Bowl, Final Four, and MLB All-Star Game, in addition to the once-a-year NBA gathering. Officials estimate at least $100 million in revenue for the city, and 200,000 fans are expected to attend the three-day hoops festival. Houston’s credentials are unquestioned; it’s a massive city that will draw hoards of people, money will flow, and David Stern knows from previous events that Houstonites will smoothly execute a comfortable experience for all involved.
But quite a bit has changed since 2006, when global forces Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming both suited up for the Western Conference All-Star squad as Houston Rockets teammates. T-Mac now plays sparingly for the Atlanta Hawks, a chubby malcontent, while Ming was forced to retire due to chronic foot injuries.
Houston hasn’t produced an All-Star for three straight seasons, and unless an unforeseen transaction occurs within the next 365 days, that somber distinction appears likely to remain. Kyle Lowry was a near-inclusion in 2012, but lacks the sexy name value of vets like Steve Nash and Tony Parker, both selected ahead of him this year as reserves. And Kevin Martin would need to suddenly generate a clutch-scoring gene to warrant deserved attention.
I don’t think a host city has ever failed to produce an All-Star from that city’s team — it’s a main reason Orlando is still clinging to Dwight Howard in 2012 — and the embarrassment of such a public-relations flub would likely yield a negative response from the fans. So much for civic pride when purported Rockets fans are all donning Kevin Durant jerseys in the crowd, right? The host city should always produce a bonafide NBA superstar for the weekend’s festivities.
Also, one of Stern’s major emphasis points in the formation of the league’s new CBA was increased parity. But choosing one of the United States’ biggest markets, especially after it just hosted the event six years ago, is a sign that Stern’s desired “parity” is only acceptable when it operates within the necessities of rampant profits and high viewership. Houston’s notoriously late-arriving crowd doesn’t exactly make the case for a strong, loyal fan base either.
This is in direct contrast to my previous example of Portland. This Oregon gem is a significantly smaller city with an arena — the Rose Garden — consistently filled with rabid and eclectic fans that bring an energetic passion not usually seen outside the college ranks. Its fans deserve an All-Star game, if nothing else. And the Trail Blazers have a certified All-Star in LaMarcus Aldridge who can easily act as the face of the city’s campaign. Finally, after decades of bad luck, inopportune injuries, and draft mishaps, I think Portland needs a morale boost.
It’s time for Stern to prove that NBA equality is something he sincerely values, not merely a buzzword introduced to gain favor with sour fans post-lockout.
FEATURED PARTNERS
- 10 Of The Best "First World Dog Problems" Meme
- Anderson Cooper Investigates Danny DeVito's Troll Foot
- 15 Animals That Love Strawberries
- Seattle Seahawks Star Chris Clemons -- You May Now Divorce the Bride ... for $500,000
- Britney Spears' First Husband Is RIPPED!
- Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. -- Socked with DUI Charges
- Daytona 500 Champion Matt Kenseth On Winning: ‘It’s Something I Wish I Could Put in a Bottle’
- Join BroBible and Infiniti RIGHT NOW for a Duke vs. North Carolina Twitter Chat (& Win Prizes!)
- Weekend Buzz, Presented By Olivia Wilde and the Greatest GIF in the World