NBA Commissioner David Stern believes this year’s All-Star game in Orlando will only be helped by Dwight Howard’s uncertain future.
“We’re going to get a great rating,” Stern said. “It’s going to be seen in 200 countries. We’ll have the usual media experiences like the one I’m enduring now. But the great thing is the game is going to start and then there’s going to be all this spectacular basketball playing and all the stars are going to take centre court.”
Stern officially announced last week that the All-Star Game would be held in Houston in 2013. Where Howard is playing by then is anyone’s guess. The Magic’s six-time All-Star has asked to be traded and he’ll be a free agent after the season. This year’s game will be played on 26 February, less than a month before the 15 March trade deadline.
Last year, the trade talk swirled around Carmelo Anthony over All-Star weekend in Los Angeles. He was dealt from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks less than a week after the game.
In spite of the lockout, the NBA is in good health with higher TV ratings, increased average attendance and more merchandise sales. Stern says the league is OK with Howard’s situation.
“That’ll work itself out. We don’t have a problem with that at all.”
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