Lakers2009champs
02-16-2009, 12:06 AM
PHOENIX -- NBA Commissioner David Stern wants the All-Star Game to return to both New Orleans and Los Angeles, but he declined to predict the years the cities will be awarded.
Los Angeles hosted the event in 2004 and league officials were impressed with how things turned out. "I think the game should come back to Los Angeles, I'm just not going to predict when,'' Stern said after his state of the league address Saturday at the US Airways Center.
"We also had a great time in New Orleans and it's a great venue and great event city. I know we got representatives here from New Orleans and they buttonhole me yesterday. We would like to go back and we're talking about it.''
Jay Cicero, president/CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, headed a group of three from the foundation that included Chairman Ron Gardner to express interest to league officials about hosting the 2014 All-Star Game at the New Orleans Arena.
"The NBA knows and understands we are very interested in having the game back,'' Cicero said Thursday after arriving in Phoenix. "It looks like the next possible date is 2011 for Los Angeles and 2012 for New Orleans. Hopefully, when the bid comes, the clubs can work to get it back. I know the Hornets are all in favor to get it back.''
The 2010 All-Star Game is set to be played at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, but the league has not yet named the cities that will host the 2011 and 2012 games.
"We're accepting applications, our bid specs are out,'' Stern said. "Next year, as you can recall it is in Dallas where (Mavericks owner) Mark Cuban has assured me there will be 100,000 people.''
Los Angeles hosted the event in 2004 and league officials were impressed with how things turned out. "I think the game should come back to Los Angeles, I'm just not going to predict when,'' Stern said after his state of the league address Saturday at the US Airways Center.
"We also had a great time in New Orleans and it's a great venue and great event city. I know we got representatives here from New Orleans and they buttonhole me yesterday. We would like to go back and we're talking about it.''
Jay Cicero, president/CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, headed a group of three from the foundation that included Chairman Ron Gardner to express interest to league officials about hosting the 2014 All-Star Game at the New Orleans Arena.
"The NBA knows and understands we are very interested in having the game back,'' Cicero said Thursday after arriving in Phoenix. "It looks like the next possible date is 2011 for Los Angeles and 2012 for New Orleans. Hopefully, when the bid comes, the clubs can work to get it back. I know the Hornets are all in favor to get it back.''
The 2010 All-Star Game is set to be played at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, but the league has not yet named the cities that will host the 2011 and 2012 games.
"We're accepting applications, our bid specs are out,'' Stern said. "Next year, as you can recall it is in Dallas where (Mavericks owner) Mark Cuban has assured me there will be 100,000 people.''