What Is Keeping Oklahoma City From Hosting NBA All-Star Games?

When Golden State visits Indiana for its next game, Draymond Green most likely won’t be met with much enthusiasm.Green was a guest analyst on TNT’s coverage of the All-Star Game this past weekend. It should come as no surprise that the Warriors’ big man, loudmouth, and cheap shot artist didn’t hold back when it came to Indianapolis, the site of the league’s big weekend. Buy what about Oklahoma?

What Is Keeping Oklahoma City From Hosting NBA All-Star Games?

During the pregame broadcast, Charles Barkley started discussing Pacers All-Star Myles Turner.

“I imagine he’s enjoying himself being at home for the All-Star Game.” stated Barkley. “Being able to sleep in your own bed, that’s probably the best thing for him this weekend.”

“I think he may look forward to road trips more,” Green chimed in.

As the alternate broadcast crew was bidding farewell later in the game to former Pacer great Reggie Miller, Green jabbed at Indianapolis again.

“Hey, Reggie, we love you,” Green said. “Let’s not have another All-Star Game in Indiana.”

What is preventing Oklahoma City from being awarded an All-Star Weekend bid when the last three cities to host the NBA All-Star Game are all minor markets by NBA standards?

Nearly all of the factors on the lengthy list have to do with size.

“There’s only two NBA markets smaller than ours,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt told The Oklahoman. “There’s only one of these (All-Star games) every year.”

Oklahoma City may become more of a desirable market when its new downtown arena opens as early as 2029, but it still falls well short of the NBA’s new standards for hosting All-Star Weekend.

The most significant requirements, per an NBA spokesperson, include:

1. 7,250 hotel rooms and a minimum of three five-star hotels.

2. Convention center of 650,000 square feet of exhibition space.

3. 75 nonstop domestic flights and at least 20 international flights.

After hearing Green’s critique of Indianapolis, a place that has played home to major athletic events like the Super Bowl and Final Fours, I started to wonder what would happen if NBA All-Star Weekend was held in Oklahoma City.

When towns compete for All-Star weekends, the NBA has a set of requirements: a specific number of hotel rooms; a specific quantity of convention space; space for surrounding events; and an updated arena.

The largest component of the OKC jigsaw will be in place once the new arena is constructed.

But an All-Star city is not made of a new arena. Four NBA teams have opened new arenas in the last ten years: the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento in 2016, the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit in 2017, the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee in 2018, and the Chase Center in Golden State in 2019.

The Los Angeles Clippers will open their new arena, the Intuit Dome, later this year. Just two of the brand-new venues—the Chase Center in 2025 and the Intuit Dome in 2026—have been given All-Star games.

San Francisco and Los Angeles are huge metropolises, of course, so the NBA probably wanted its flagship event to take place in these towns as much as in their new facilities, which is probably why they were chosen as All-Star locations

The third prerequisite is not satisfied by Indianapolis, which hosted the 2024 All-Star Game last weekend, but since Indianapolis’ candidacy was accepted in 2017, the hosting requirements have altered. The 2021 game was initially scheduled to take place in Indianapolis, but COVID-19 problems forced a change of venue.

Regardless of how lavish the Thunder’s new venue may be, Oklahoma City doesn’t fit any of the aforementioned criteria.

In spite of its name, Will Rogers World Airport does not operate any international flights. The most recent schedule available on its website shows that it operates 25 nonstop flights—two of which are seasonal—to 21 locations.

It’s simply really difficult for us being a little market—nearly the smallest market in the NBA—but I don’t want to give you the idea that it’s impossible to see us ever having it, Holt added.

Neither skiing nor partying are the main draws for visitors to Oklahoma City, in contrast to similar smaller markets like Salt Lake City and New Orleans, which have a disproportionate amount of hotel rooms for towns their size.

Oklahoma City is one of the four NBA locations that hasn’t hosted the All-Star Game to date, along with Portland, Memphis, and Sacramento.

 

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