Detroit Pistons submit bids for 2020, 2021 NBA All-Star Games
By Zac Snyder
Little Caesars Arena hasn’t even opened yet but it’s racking up an impressive list of big events to host. The NBA All-Star Game could be next.
It was just last week that Little Caesars Arena was announced as a host site for NCAA championship events in basketball, hockey and wrestling. Now, the Detroit Pistons have announced that they have submitted bids to bring another high-profile event to Little Caesars Arena.
According to the team, the Pistons are bidding to host the NBA All-Star Game in 2020 or 2021. Detroit faces competition from at least Houston and Orlando, who have indicated an interest to host in 2020 or 2021, and Indiana, who submitted a bid this week for the 2021 All-Star Game.
Owner Tom Gores had the following statement in the bid announcement, highlighting Detroit’s comeback story and history as a great sports city:
"Detroit is an iconic sports town with some of the most passionate basketball fans in the world. There is also a spirit of renewal and an energy in Detroit right now that is unlike anywhere in the country. I want the League and all fans of the NBA to be part of this incredible turnaround story. There is nothing else like it."
Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem touted the Pistons partners in hopefully bringing the NBA All-Star game to Detroit:
"Given the anticipation around the sparkling new state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena and our organization’s collective experience, expertise and organizational resources, we feel our group is uniquely qualified to host NBA All-Star weekend events. We’re proud of the collaborative effort put forth by our team along with our partners at Olympia Entertainment and the Detroit Sports Commission and we’re excited by the future impact that NBA All-Star events could have on our community."
If awarded, it would be the first NBA All-Star game in Detroit (or suburban area) since 1959. The lack of an All-Star game at The Palace of Auburn Hills – the NBA venue that was ahead of its time, inspired so many arenas that followed and held relevance to the day it hosted its final Pistons game – is a travesty.
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That’s a wrong that the NBA can’t right just by bringing the NBA All-Star game to Little Caesars Arena, but it would still be great to add another high-profile event at the new arena.