The NBA All-Star Game could be headed to Los Angeles in 2018, according to a USA Today report Wednesday.
No deal has been reached yet, but the report indicated that the possibility of the game being played in LA’s Staples Center for the first time since 2011 is strong.
The 2017 All-Star weekend already is scheduled for Charlotte, N.C., which is planning $27.5 million in improvements to Time Warner Cable Arena to host the event.
The past two All-Star games have been played in cold-weather cities New York and Toronto that experienced Arctic-like temperatures. Going to LA would provide a break from the frigid winter weather.
USA Today reported that Indianapolis and Miami were in the running for 2018. Sacramento is hoping to land the 2019 extravaganza at its new downtown Golden 1 Center.
The Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies are the only NBA teams that have not hosted an All-Star weekend. Oklahoma City and Sacramento last played host to the game when their franchises were located in Seattle (1987) and Cincinnati (1966), respectively.