Report: New Orleans a frontrunner if NBA moves 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte

New Orleans is emerging as a frontrunner to host the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, Yahoo Sports reported Thursday, if the NBA makes the decision to pull the game out of Charlotte.

The league is “on the brink” of taking the game out of Charlotte, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reported Thursday. He described the move from Charlotte as “imminent.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has openly discussed the possibility of removing the game from Charlotte because of North Carolina House Bill 2, which sets a statewide definition of classes of people who are protected against workplace and other public discrimination and does not expressly protect based on sexual orientation or transgender status. New Orleans, which is home to the Pelicans, last hosted the All-Star Game in 2014. The 2017 game is set for Feb. 19.

The bill, signed by North Carolina governor Pat McCrory in March, blocks cities from allowing transgender individuals from using public bathrooms for the gender they identify with and prohibits cities from expanding on the groups of people protected against discrimination.

Read more at The New Orleans Advocate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This story was originally published July 21, 2016 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Report: New Orleans a frontrunner if NBA moves 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte."