Charles Barkley wants NBA to relocate 2017 All-Star Game
The chorus pushing for the NBA to relocate the 2017 All-Star Game grows louder.
Charles Barkley appeared on CNN to urge the league to move the All-Star Game elsewhere in the wake of the state of North Carolina's controversial passage of the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act.
"I think the NBA should move the All-Star Game from there next year. As a black person, I’m against any form of discrimination - against whites, Hispanics, gays, lesbians, however you want to phrase it," Barkley said.
"It's my job, with the position of power that I'm in and able to be on television, I'm supposed to stand up for the people who can't stand up for themselves. So, I think the NBA should move the All-Star Game from Charlotte."
The Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act bars transgendered people from using public bathrooms that don't match the gender on their birth certificate.
In response, the NBA has issued a warning that the act might impact the league's ability to hold the event in Charlotte. The Hornets also issued a statement expressing that the team is opposed to discrimination in any form.
The city of Atlanta has since stepped up in a bid to host the All-Star festivities should they be relocated.
- with h/t Pro Basketball Talk