LOS ANGELES — For a record fifth time, the city of Los Angeles will host the NBA All-Star Game, this time in 2011 at the Staples Center, site of this year’s NBA Finals.
“We actually tried to (also) bid on the Finals, but (commissioner) David Stern assured me that despite what is occasionally written, those are earned, not awarded,” Tim Leiweke, the CEO of AEG, the company that runs the Staples Center, said jokingly. “So we did the next-best thing and went after the NBA All-Star Game.”
Next season, the All-Star Game will be played in Dallas. The season after, the all-stars will join the stars in L.A., playing in a revitalized downtown area, which was key in the awarding of the All-Star Game.
An area called “L.A. Live,” across the street from the Staples Center, features restaurants and bars. And by 2011, a 54-story, 1,001-room complex featuring two hotels should be completed nearby.
“The game means $100 million in economic impact,” Stern said. “It means the best basketball players anywhere in the world will be here showcasing their talents, rookies, all of them. It means that we get to show off a town that I believe is the city of America’s hope and promise.”
The 1963 All-Star Game was played at the L.A. Sports Arena. The Forum in suburban Inglewood, Calif., hosted the game in 1972 and 1983, the year Marvin Gaye sang a memorable version of the national anthem. The Staples Center hosted the game in 2004.
Bad memories.
As a rookie, Orlando center Dwight Howard tried to block a Kobe Bryant dunk attempt. It turned out to be one of the best in-game dunks of the season.
Asked about it, Howard said in jest: “I don’t remember what happened.
“Don’t remind me. He baptized me, brought me into the NBA and back to reality with one play. Yeah, every time he gets ready to drive down the lane, ever since then, I’ve had the flash of him dunking and hearing the crowd and everybody say, and it was like, boom, that’s all I heard. I’ll make sure that won’t happen again.”
“Idol” talk.
Before Game 2 of the Finals, recent “American Idol” winner Kris Allen sang the national anthem. Every “Idol” winner except Fantasia Barrino has done the anthem during a Finals game at some point.
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
