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Indianapolis will host NBA All-Star Game in 2024 instead of 2021, after plans for February’s festivities in the city were canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NBA announced Wednesday that the All-Star Weekend events will take place Feb. 16-18, 2024, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, which by that time is expected to have completed a $360 million renovation that is now underway.
The league has not announced what will come of the 2021 All-Star festivities—now scheduled for March 5-10—but in August called off the events in Indianapolis because of continued rises in COVID-19 cases across the country.
It’s not immediately clear what will happen with the community initiatives the Pacers took on ahead of the 2021 events, including a hat-knitting effort and community development grants.
“We are excited about the opportunity to bring Indiana the very best All-Star experience in 2024,” Pacers owner Herb Simon said in written remarks. “The efforts of so many Hoosiers to prepare for NBA All-Star 2021 put us ahead of the game for the hard work to come, and we are so grateful to the NBA for once again recognizing Indianapolis as a city that delivers world-class events.”
The next scheduled All-Star Weekend is in Cleveland in 2022, followed by Salt Lake City in 2023. Indianapolis first hosted the NBA All-Star Weekend in 1985.
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It’s better to get the full experience later on than a watered down experience now.
Totally agree! I’m so glad the NBA didn’t just write us off as bad luck and not reward INdy with a future game.
The NBA had to talk Indy in to doing it in first place. It’s not a money maker. Bing bang and gone.
Doug TY. may i ask how do you know the city had to be talked into wanting to host such a high profile event?I find it extremley hard to believe that a city thats allows trying to lure major events would need thier arms twisted to do it. Indy calls itself the amature capital of the world and im sure all the hotels would of loved to host such an event.
I sincerely doubt the city had to be “talked into” hosting this event. Indy is all about showcasing itself to the country as a convention destination. An event like this shows off what Indy is capable of. Not on the same scale by a long shot, but the NBA All Star game is similar to a Super Bowl in that it’s a week long party for sponsors and owners culminating in a game. It is exactly what Indy strives to host.
Convention tourism is such a sham. I’m not sure how participating in it shows anything about what Indy “can do”, other than finance it’s own future deficits just to be on TV one day and forgotten the next.
Indianapolis is well positioned and deserves to host this hallmark NBA event. Looking forward to 2024!