NBA holds off deadline to move ’17 all-star game

Commissioner seeks change to rule on intentional fouls away from ball next season

NEW YORK— Commissioner Adam Silver believes the NBA has been “crystal clear” that the 2017 all-star game only stays in Charlotte if a North Carolina law goes.

Political and business leaders he’s spoken with in the state believe it will, so he’s holding off for now on setting any deadlines for when the NBA might act.

Silver said last week that the law that limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people was “problematic” for the league, but he believed dialogue was more useful than ultimatums at this point, so has continued discussions with North Carolina officials.

“The sense was that if the NBA could give us some time, they in the community of North Carolina were optimistic they would see a change in the law. They weren’t guaranteeing it and I think which was why my response was the event still is 10 months from now, we don’t need to make a decision yet,” Silver said Thursday during a meeting of Associated Press Sports Editors.

The North Carolina law directs transgender people to use public toilets corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificate.

The law also excludes LGBT people from state anti-discrimination protections, blocks local governments from expanding LGBT protections, and bars all types of workplace discrimination lawsuits from state courts.

Several entertainment acts, including Bruce Springsteen, have already cancelled concerts in North Carolina but Silver said last week he didn’t think a warning that the NBA could pull the all-star weekend out would send the proper message, particularly because the league still has the Charlotte Hornets, owned by Michael Jordan, playing there. The Hornets host playoff games this weekend.

All-star weekend is scheduled for February. Silver said there is no urgency to make a decision because the league could very easily find out which arenas would take on the event if necessary.

Silver does seem ready for action, though, when it comes to Hack-a-Shaq.

Concerned with games dragging on longer than 2.5 hours because of parades to the line, Silver said he hopes there will be a change to the rules about intentional fouls away from the ball.

“I think it’s not unanimous but there’s clearly an emerging consensus both among the members of the competition committee and the owners we made a presentation to at last week’s meetings that we need to address the situation,” Silver said.

Silver said last year he was “on the fence” about the tactic, but another year of data has changed his opinion. Silver said when Hack-a-Shaq happens three or more times, it adds approximately 11 minutes to the length of a game.

Silver said the use of the strategy increased by 2.5 times over last season.

One possibility would be extending the rule used in the final two minutes, when an intentional foul away from the ball leads to one free throw for any player on the team and the retention of possession, throughout the game.