Charlotte could soon find itself upstaged by its big brother once again.
The Atlanta City Council has introduced a resolution inviting the NBA to move the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte to Georgia. The NBA awarded its mid-season showcase to Charlotte for 2017. But in the wake of the state’s controversial House Bill 2, which banned a city nondiscrimination law designed to better protect the LGBT community, the league has been reconsidering its options.
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“The City of Atlanta draws strength from our diverse community,” council president Ceasar C. Mitchell said, via WSOC-TV. “This unity creates our city's embracing spirit, a quality that has made Atlanta the destination of choice for numerous international business conventions, professional and college sporting events, as well as one of the largest concentrations of Fortune 500 companies in the nation. We would certainly welcome the opportunity to show that very spirit as the host of the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend.”
The Hornets released a statement last week stating they are “opposed to discrimination in any form.”
Conversely, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal vetoed a “religious freedom bill” which would have allowed faith-based organizations to deny services to those who violate their religious beliefs on Monday.