Watch CBS News

Pistons Submit Bid To Bring NBA All Star Game To Little Caesars Arena

The Detroit Pistons announced today that the club has submitted bids to the National Basketball Association in an effort to bring NBA All-Star to Little Caesars Arena and the city of Detroit.

Bids were submitted for both 2020 and 2021, and, if selected, Detroit would host the annual showcase for the first time since 1959.

"Detroit is an iconic sports town with some of the most passionate basketball fans in the world," said Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores. "There is also a spirit of renewal and an energy in Detroit right now that is unlike anywhere in the country. I want the League and all fans of the NBA to be part of this incredible turnaround story. There is nothing else like it."

NBA All-Star brings together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league's history for a global celebration of basketball.

The NBA All-Star Game reaches fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages. In 2016, a record U.S. audience of 27 million viewers tuned in to watch NBA All-Star festivities throughout the weekend. NBA All-Star events include the NBA Rising Stars Challenge and NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, NBA All-Star Saturday Night skills competitions, the NBA All-Star Game and NBA Fan Activation events.

The NBA announced its bid process and the specifications for host cities in January.

"Given the anticipation around the sparkling new state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena and our organization's collective experience, expertise and organizational resources, we feel our group is uniquely qualified to host NBA All-Star weekend events," said Arn Tellem, Vice Chairman for the Detroit Pistons.

"We're proud of the collaborative effort put forth by our team along with our partners at Olympia Entertainment and the Detroit Sports Commission and we're excited by the future impact that NBA All-Star events could have on our community."

Detroit has a long, successful history of hosting world-class events from the Ryder Cup to the Super Bowl, the MLB All-Star Game and the NCAA Men's Final Four, the team said in a press release.

The release adds: "The region has the expertise and experience to showcase any event to the world and continues to experience a boon of new business, agricultural initiatives and large-scale city improvement plans.

"Concentrated areas of startups, independent retailers, fine food establishments, big brand name stores and entertainment options continue to surface, move forward and make headlines in Detroit, further proving the city is America's great comeback story."

A bragging point: The Motor City boasts more than 36,000 hotel rooms and features a completely remodeled, state-of-the-art airport that handles 1,200 flights every day to and from 150 destinations on four continents.

A rich array of cultural attractions, landmarks, outdoor activities and shopping helped Detroit be named 52 Places To Go In 2017 (New York Times, January 2017) and 6 Unexpected Cities For The Food Lover (National Geographic, January 2017).

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.