Source Says NBA All-Star Game To Be In Las Vegas In ‘07

Stern Expected To Announce Las Vegas Will Host ’07 All-Star Game

Las Vegas “has been chosen to host the” ’07 NBA All-Star Game, according to a source cited by Scott Soshnick of BLOOMBERG NEWS. The source said that NBA Commissioner David Stern will make the announcement in Las Vegas on Friday. But NBA VP/Communications Tim Frank said, “The process continues. No press conference has been called.” Las Vegas Sports Consultants COO Kenny White said that “getting the All-Star game doesn’t necessarily boost [Las Vegas Mayor Oscar] Goodman’s bid for a team.” White added that it is “unlikely that casinos would agree to remove [NBA] games from betting lines permanently.” Soshnick noted the NBA accounts for about $300M of the $2B bet annually on pro sports in Las Vegas (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/29). A LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL editorial stated the decision to hold the game in Las Vegas “could be a much larger step toward the acceptance of legitimate major league sports here –- a necessary step if [Las Vegas] is eventually going to have major league franchises of its own” (REVIEW-JOURNAL, 7/30).