Adam Silver, NBA Take Bold Stand By Pulling All-Star Game From Charlotte

Adam Silver just took a bold stand and he should be applauded for it. The NBA announced on Thursday that it would relocate the 2017 NBA All-Star Game from Charlotte in response to North Carolina’s HB2 law. Silver and the NBA warned that this could be coming if the state didn’t reverse its course and change what they perceived to be a discriminatory law. Now Silver has made good on that threat.

HB2 is a so-called “bathroom bill” but is about far more than which restroom transgender people can use. It also eliminated anti-discrimination protections for gay, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer and intersex people in the state of North Carolina, as well as changing the definition of sex in the state’s anti-discrimination law. Additionally, it prohibits cities within the state from enacting their own anti-discrimination policies, regulating child labor, setting a local minimum wage or setting regulations for city workers.

Obviously the most inflammatory section of the bill has to do with what is essentially the legalization of discrimination throughout the entire state. There was no way Silver was going to stand by and hold his league’s midseason showcase in a city where discrimination was allowed and embraced by the state’s government.

Since taking over as commissioner in February 1, 2014, Silver has worked overtime to prove his league is inclusive and accepting of everyone. The lifetime ban he gave to former Clippers owner Donald Sterling over his racist remarks was the first clue that Silver wasn’t messing around. He has since gone out of his way to promote equality. That includes a massive push for the NBA Cares initiative as well as showing up at events like New York City’s Gay Pride Parade.

The league’s statement about moving the game was excellent and the key passage read as follows:

"“Our week-long schedule of All-Star events and activities is intended to be a global celebration of basketball, our league, and the values for which we stand, and to bring together all members of the NBA community—current and former players, league and team officials, business partners, and fans. While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2.”"

Silver and the NBA could have stood by and realized they would face some backlash for having the game in Charlotte, but ducked their heads and worked through it. Instead he stood up for his true values and made the change, standing out as an example for what he believes is right. You can’t fault him or the NBA for sticking to their guns and publicly boycotting a state whose government embraced any form of discrimination.

The league also put a carrot out there for Charlotte by saying it could hold the 2019 All-Star Game in the city if changes are made to the state’s laws. That was another smart move to potentially help the push for change.

Silver is a bold commissioner and has been since the day he stepped into his job. He has pushed extremely hard for the league to be recognized as a champion of equality and this is yet another example that he is truly committed to that cause. Good for him and good for the NBA.