NBA Pulls All-Star Game From North Carolina In Protest Against Homophobic Laws

The NBA will join other prominent groups in taking its talents out of North Carolina after the state passed homophobic, transphobic, and discriminatory legislation. The league announced Thursday that its 2017 All-Star game, which had been scheduled to take place in Charlotte, is currently homeless, though speculation is that New Orleans is an early front-runner. The NBA made it clear that the decision to move was a direct result of HB2, though it left the door open to a return in 2019. The league highlighted that the law clashed with their “core values” including “diversity, inclusion, fairness and respect for others but also the willingness to listen and consider opposing points of view.” North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory was displeased by the development. “The sports and entertainment elite, Attorney General Roy Cooper and the liberal media have for months misrepresented our laws and maligned the people of North Carolina simply because most people believe boys and girls should be able to use school bathrooms, locker rooms and showers without the opposite sex present,” Gov. McCrory said in a statement posted to the state’s website. The Charlotte Hornets, whose stadium was set to host the game and attendant festivities, released a statement in support of the league, as did Turner, a major broadcast partner. We’ve clearly come a long way from Michael Jordan’s famous declaration that “Republicans buy shoes, too” in reference to his refusal to take political stances. Jordan, ironically enough, is also the principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets. North Carolina Senator Jeff Jackson used Jordan's likeness to comment on McCrory's legacy. We can't be sure, but that's probably the first time a politician has used the meme we all know as Tearful Michael to dunk on someone in his own state. Disappointing but historical.

Read the NBA’s full statement below.