Indianapolis will host the NBA All-Star Weekend in 2024, the league said Wednesday, formally rescheduling the plans for that city to be the site of the league’s midseason showcase this season.
Cleveland will host in 2022 and Salt Lake City will do so in 2023, as previously announced. The next open spot on the league’s All-Star calendar was 2024, which now belongs to Indianapolis.
“Public health conditions prevented the Pacers, the NBA All-Star Host Committee and the NBA from appropriately planning and executing fan-focused All-Star activities in Indianapolis that were envisioned for this February,” the NBA said in a statement.
The new dates for Indianapolis’ All-Star Weekend are Feb. 16-18, 2024. Indianapolis hosted the All-Star Game for the first time in 1985.
“While we are disappointed that the NBA All-Star Game will not take place in Indianapolis in 2021, we are looking forward to the Pacers and the city hosting the game and surrounding events in 2024,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
The news, delivered in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, had been expected for months. The league released hotel blocks for what would have been the 2021 All-Star Weekend in August and is in the process of finalizing a schedule for this season, which begins Dec. 22.
The league said it is planning to revise this season’s All-Star agenda, with those plans still to be announced.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
