Portland Trail Blazers bid to host All-Star Game in 2017 or 2018
The Portland Trail Blazers submitted a bid to host either the 2017 or 2018 All-Star Game, the team announced Thursday.
Portland has never hosted the All-Star Game. Trailblazers.com's Casey Holdahl reports new construction will make the city a more viable candidate than in previous years.
A lack of hotel rooms in a centralized location has been one of the main reasons Portland has never been seriously considered to host the All-Star Game. But with a new convention center hotel currently in the works, the one nearly insurmountable obstacle to the Trail Blazers’ bid no longer exists.
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The Trail Blazers have branded their bid "We Got Next" while emphasizing Portland is the 10th fastest growing city in the country.
Trail Blazers president and CEO Chris McGowan acknowledged Portland's bid faces difficult odds.
“The only hurdle would be, I’d say, competition amongst other teams that are bidding for this,” said McGowan. “We’ve heard there are anywhere from six to 10 other franchises bidding. Getting the NBA open-minded to coming to Portland — they’ve been on record saying that they would be willing to look at an All-Star Weekend in Portland.”
Earlier this week, the Charlotte Hornets also announced a bid to host either the 2017 or 2018 All-Star Game.
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- Paul Palladino
