By JOSHUA HALLORAN
For the second time in 20 years, Orlando will host the NBA All-Star Weekend at the Amway Center beginning Feb. 26.
The last time Orlando received such national publicity in the NBA was when Dwight Howard lead the Magic to its second NBA finals apperance in 2009.
The All-Star Weekend consists of the top players in the league competing in multiple events such as the Foot Locker 3-Point Shootout, the Sprite Slam Dunk contest and the end of the event is the 2012 All-Star game.
A single day’s ticket costs a minimum of $500 for a “nosebleed” seat. For fans who cannot afford a ticket, the city has created the NBA Jam Session at the Convention Center to provide the opportunity to get up close and personal. The NBA Jam Session is where fans can shoot, slam, dribble and drive all day; they can also compete against friends in skill challenges and receive autographs from the current All-Star players, Hall of Fame legends and new rookies of the league.
The Jam Session tickets are on sale, prices range from $12 to $20. There will be about 30 different basketball courts with clinics, giveaways and prizes.
The weekend is supposed to add more than $100 million to the local economy. Local hotels, restaurants and venues will benefit most from the event. Local hotels will experience both short and long term benefits of hosting such a high caliber event.
“[I think] that it will bring many families to the city and a lot of famous people who will spend big bucks during the weekend,” junior Rayshawn Moise said.
Not only are hotel’s economies increasing but also a large percentage of money will be spent on I-Drive restaurants and family attractions.
“[I think the All-Star Weekend] will benefit the city. The games will be broadcasted on national television (ESPN) for a big event; also having all the all-stars in town will bring publicity to the city,” junior Matthew Wasson said.
David Stern, the commissioner of the National Basketball Association, had long promised to hold the marquee game in Orlando.
“I think it will increase the tourism rate and people will come back to Orlando because they liked what they saw,” Wasson said.
The city built the new Amway Center with a price tag of $480 million.
“Orlando deserves to hold the All-Star Weekend. They just built the new arena hoping that they would get an event with such a caliber as the All-Star weekend and look what happened.This is just a beginning for the Magic,” Moise said.
Voting for the East and West all-star teams can be done on nba.com. The teams consist of 11 players and five starters. Orlando’s own Dwight Howard is leading the all-star voting.
As of today the leaders for the voting are Chicago’s Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade and Lebron James from the Miami Heat, last year’s scoring champion was Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dirk Nowitzki of the World Champion Dallas Mavericks.
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