If the Boston Celtics host an NBA All-Star game any time soon, they will have to wait at least a year longer than they were hoping. Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the honor Boston hoped to have as their own fell to the Los Angeles Clippers as the Clips inaugurate their new arena, owner Steve Ballmer’s new Intuit Dome.
Now, with the Indiana Pacers hosting this season’s All-Star Week, and the Golden State Warriors the next, the nearest season the Celtics could host All-Star Week would be 2027. This would be a season after they had formally applied to host an All-Star Game now being awarded to the Clippers. It is not unusual for the league to assign such honors to teams which have recently built new stadiums or renovated old ones.
And while Boston technically falls into the latter category, it is a relatively minor renovation of an arena the Celtics rent and do not own, unlike Ballmer’s new, state-of-the-art arena.
New @CelticsLab pod on YouTube via @CelticsCLNS
The latest All-Star and trade talk before Cameron talks with WNBA star @_bjones18
Sponsored by: @FDSportsbook pic.twitter.com/uhOfBOdriV
— Dr. Justin Quinn (@justinquinnn) January 10, 2024
While this news will likely please many in the media unhappy with the trend of holding the event in cold-weather cities, Boston has not hosted an All-Star game since 1964.
It is long overdue, Adam Silver and Co. — let’s make it happen for 2027.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ