Report: Sites for 2015, 2016 NBA All-Star Games set
The sites for the 2015 and 2016 NBA All-Star games have been established, according to reports for both games.
The 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend will be in New York, according to ESPN, and the 2016 game will be played in Toronto, the Toronto Star reported.
The 2015 affair it will be co-hosted by the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, ESPN reported. An official announcement is expected Wednesday.
The 2015 All-Star Game will be played Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015, at the newly renovated Madison Square Garden.
The Saturday night festivities, including the Slam Dunk Contest and the Three-Point Shootout, will take place at new Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The 2016 All-Star Game will be played across the border in Toronto, the Sun reported.
An official announcement is expected within a week.
The Raptors will be celebrating their 20th anniversary season in 2016.
Cleveland was the other serious bidder for the 2016 game, the Sun reported. The 2014 game will be played in February in New Orleans.
"Clearly the 2016 all-star game is a flag in the sand that we planted with the NBA," said Tim Leiweke, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president and CEO, to the Sun in May. "It is a must-have in my opinion and it will be the centerpiece of how we rebrand this."
The last major all-star game to be played in Toronto was the NHL All-Star Game in 2000. Since then, the Air Canada Centre has undergone significant renovations.
