Silver: NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte in 2019 'a priority'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says returning the All-Star game to Charlotte in 2019 is ''a high priority,'' providing there's a resolution to a North Carolina law that restricts the rights of LGBT people.

The NBA moved the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte because it felt the law known as House Bill 2 was discriminatory.

Silver spoke Tuesday following a ceremony in Charlotte in which Hornets owner Michael Jordan unveiled the first of three refurbished neighborhood basketball courts.

He said: ''We were in an unfortunate position that we were moving the game, so for me it is a high priority given the investments in the arena, given the investments in the team that Michael and his ownership group has made, and the city and state have made in the Hornets.''

"This isn’t about an economic boycott of North Carolina. We want all members of our broader NBA family to feel comfortable."

Several concerts and sporting events have been relocated from North Carolina because of HB2.