Thunder at Utah for All-Star 2023 announcement

SALT LAKE CITY — Hours before the Thunder faced the Jazz to open the season, NBA commissioner Adam Silver made an announcement at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday.

The All- Star game was coming to Utah in 2023.

“The particular bid was incredibly thorough and well done,” Silver said. “I think something (Utah Jazz owner)

Gail (Miller) and I have talked a lot about as well is the tradition of hosting big events and sporting events in Salt Lake City. And I think, frankly, the final piece was the renovations … to the arena that put it in the top tier of arenas anywhere in the world. A combination of all those things made it a very easy decision to come back here.”

U t a h g e t s i t s s e c o n d opportunity to host All-Star weekend, 30 years after the first. Oklahoma City, on the other hand, has never hosted the NBA All-Star game. It does not have enough hotel capacity to be considered. The last time the franchise hosted All-Star festivities was 1987, when the team was in Seattle.

Oklahoma City is one of four current NBA cities that has never hosted All-Star weekend, joined by Portland, Sacramento and Memphis. Finding enough hotel rooms for the huge influx of All-Star weekend attendees — including NBA players and officials, celebrities, media members and fans — is a tricky demand for most small market cities, like OKC. Salt Lake City Mayor

Jackie Biskupski boasted of the city's more than 6,000 hotel rooms in Wednesday's press conference.

Roberson out

Andre Roberson (return to play management) sat out of the Thunder's season opener at Utah.

After multiple setbacks last season, Roberson has not played in a competitive game since he ruptured his left patellar tendon in January 2018.

He has been ramping up his workouts this week, going from rejoining contact portions of practice Sunday to playing 17 minutes in a scrimmage Monday, per coach Billy Donovan.

"It's been good," Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of Roberson participating more in practice again. "Dre's obviously been around for a long time and has seen some things. So, guys like that I try to pick his brain a little and learn from him."

Tip-ins

Donovan went away from the three point guard lineup that he debuted in the first game oft hep re season. Instead, he started shooting guard Terrance Ferguson alongside point guards Chris Paul and Gilgeous-Alexander. ... Thunder rookie Darius Bazley earned a spot in the rotation Wednesday. He checked into the game with about five minutes left in the first quarter. He immediately found himself guarding Jazz fan-favorite Joe Ingles. ... The Thunder started the game in a shooting rut, making just two of its first 11 shots.