NBA Commissioner David Stern "yesterday officially
canceled the league's usual midseason highlight, the All-
Star Game, which was to have been played" February 14 at the
First Union Center in Philadelphia, according to Hepp &
Nicholas of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Stern said that he
would work to see that the city "got the next available All-
Star Game, in 2002." Stern: "I don't see any great
impediments to that." Hepp & Nicholas report that
cancellation of the February event "represents a significant
financial setback for the city," as much as $35M. It is
"also another undeniable omen that the NBA ... may not be
able to recover any of the season." Stern, on the
cancellation: "You would like to see some sort of season
before the All-Star Game, and that was slipping away from
us." Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell: "I don't think it would
be fair to the people of Philadelphia to get a game that
would have been a hollow shell of what it normally is." The
Warriors will host next year's game and the 2001 game "has
been all but promised to" the Wizards. The NBA has held an
All-Star Game every year since '51 (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER,
12/9). Convention & Visitors Bureau Senior VP Sales &
Marketing Mike Gamble put the economic loss to the city
between $25M and $30M (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 12/9).
WORKING WITH HOTELIERS ON LOSSES: League and city
officials "have worked for about two weeks on negotiating
some type of settlement with local hoteliers that would keep
everyone on good terms for the future." Stern: "Our
contracts provide that, in the event of a labor dispute and
the cancellation of the game, there is no penalty (to the
league), but we think the hotels have proceeded in
spectacularly good faith and we want to recognize that in a
fair fashion" (Phil Jasner, PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 12/9).
UNION RESPONSE: NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter issued a
statement saying, "Sadly, the owners have elected to cheat
millions of fans and the city of Philadelphia out of a
wonderful spectacle. Unfortunately for owners, their effort
to further intimidate the players will not succeed"
(MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 12/8). Free agent F Antonio
McDyess: "I think they're basically trying to make us give
in and come to their agreement" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/9).
