NBA Commissioner Admires the Resilience of Indianapolis

Source: EMMANUEL DUNAND / Getty

INDIANAPOLIS–The NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he admires the resilience of the City of Indianapolis in putting on this year’s NBA All-Star game.

You might remember that the All-Star game was supposed to be held in Indianapolis in 2021, but it was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We got delayed because of COVID, but everybody hung in there and used the opportunity to make some upgrades to Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the area around there. Obviously we’re taking advantage of Lucas Oil Stadium while we’re here. It’s a city where everything’s proximate. People can walk to events. The whole NBA community is coming together,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a Thursday morning interview on The Wake Up Call, which airs on 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan.

There is an NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by Ruffles at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday.

Silver says he’s always been impressed by Indiana.

“You guys have a state that works. You’ve got a governor, a mayor, and a state legislature that work well together. They came together for this event,” said Silver.

Silver says people from all over the world will come to Indianapolis for both the game and all of the other events. He also expects there to be some improvement. In the past, Silver said he heard from people who said the weekend became too much about entertainment and not enough about basketball.

“The notion in coming back to Indiana of all places, the heartland of basketball, was let’s go back to the old format (East vs West) and have a 48 minute game,” said Silver.

In case you’re concerned about the future of the Indiana Pacers, Silver says there is no reason to believe they are going anywhere else.

“There’s a wonderful partnership with local and state government here. This team is going nowhere. This is the heartland of basketball. The City of Indianapolis punches so far above its weight when it comes to basketball and the NBA,” said Silver.

The All-Star game is Sunday February 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 8 pm.

You can hear the full interview with Silver below.

NBA Commissioner Admires the Resilience of Indianapolis In Putting on the All-Star Game  was originally published on wibc.com