The NBA All-Star Game could be returning to Orlando in the future.
Jason Siegel, the president and CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, announced Thursday afternoon that Orlando will be bidding for the 2030 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Orlando has hosted the league’s All-Star Game twice before: Last in 2012 and first in 1992.
The Magic are in support of the commission’s bid.
“Landing NBA All-Star Weekend would deliver major benefits to Orlando and the broader Central Florida region, driving significant economic impact estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars for local businesses, hotels, restaurants, and attractions,” the team said in a statement provided to the Orlando Sentinel. “It would also place Orlando on a global stage, with the NBA’s international reach in more than 200 countries.”
Of course, Orlando won’t be the only NBA city to put in a bid to host the event in four years.
“We are thrilled to see the amount of interest from several cities — including Orlando — in hosting a future NBA All-Star,” an NBA spokesperson said in a statement provided to the Sentinel on Thursday night. “We look forward to working with teams and their local partners on establishing future sites of the global celebration of our game.”
It won’t be easy for Orlando to win the bid either.
There is a variety of criteria that the league looks at when evaluating host cities for NBA All-Star Weekend.
That criteria includes the following:
Infrastructure, including ample hotel rooms, facilities, etc.
World-class event venues with the necessary amenities
Proven ability to organize large-scale events on a global stage
Interest by the city and fans in hosting the game
And city support in services like transportation and security
The league works with all interested teams to help them meet the necessary criteria.
One factor that could potentially help Orlando land the event is the construction of Westcourt, a new sports and entertainment district located across the street from Kia Center that’s scheduled to open in early 2027.
This year’s All-Star Weekend, set for Feb. 13-15, will take place in Los Angeles at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the LA Clippers. Next year’s will take place in Phoenix from Feb. 19-21, 2027.
Orlando is hoping the event returns to the Sunshine State not long after that.
“If successful, the All Star Weekend pursuit will shine a spotlight on our community and deliver unique fan experiences, meaningful community impact events, and new engagement opportunities for our city,” the Magic said.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer is on board with the push, too.
“Over the last few years, Orlando has proven that our city is the nation’s premier sports destination by hosting a number of major events,” Dyer said in a statement to the Sentinel. “Hosting sporting events allows us to showcase our community’s vibrancy to the world and also welcome even more visitors to our region.
“We’re excited to bid on the 2030 NBA All-Star Game and work together as we seek to bring one of the league’s marquee events back to Kia Center,” he added.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com