Though their new San Francisco arena is yet to be completed, the Golden State Warriors have already made a bid to host the NBA All-Star Game, according to a report by Chris Haynes and Mac Spears of ESPN on Friday. The Chase Center, which is scheduled to open in time for the 2019-20 season, will be the host site, and sources have indicated that Golden State’s bid is for the 2021 season.
It would be the first time in over two decades that the Bay Area has hosted an NBA All-Star Game, and would be the third time ever the Warriors have hosted also doing so in 2000 and 1967.
According to ESPN, the Warriors are likely to win the bid, especially considering the 18,000 seat Chase Center is primed to be one of the most state-of-the-art facilities in the league upon completion. Located in the Mission Bay area of San Francisco, the transportation options and number of high-grade hotels in close proximity make it an ideal area to host the massive All-Star Weekend crowds.
On Tuesday, the NBA announced it is tweaking the traditional East-West All-Star game format, and will instead allow to captains to select their own teams from the pool of All-Star eligible players. The hope is that this new set-up will increase the competitiveness of a game that has become a glorified dunk contest in recent years.