Oakland official to NBA: Bring All-Star Game to California

As backlash from North Carolina’s controversial LGBT law continues, an Oakland official is lobbying to move the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte to the California city.

Oakland city council member Rebecca Kaplan says she will reach out to the NBA directly about her proposal, reports San Francisco’s ABC7.

“Seventy-three wins, it’s a beautiful time and it’s a time to say we stand for justice and inclusion,” Kaplan told the news station, referring to the Golden State Warriors. “We do have those dates available, so we’d love to have the All-Star game here.”

After Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law House Bill 2, which limits the legal protections of LGBT individuals, the NBA issued a statement saying it is “deeply concerned that this discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles of equality and mutual respect.” The league said it didn’t know what impact the law will have on its “ability to successfully host” the event in Charlotte.

Also soon after the law passed, the Atlanta City Council similarly invited the NBA to consider relocating the game to Atlanta, saying HB2 “discriminates against members of the LGBT community.”

And earlier this week, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators signed a letter asking the NBA to move the All-Star Game from Charlotte because of HB2.

The NBA is expected to address the controversy surrounding having the All-Star Game in Charlotte during its board of governors meetings, which conclude Friday in New York.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 10:05 AM with the headline "Oakland official to NBA: Bring All-Star Game to California."