Against the wishes of some of its biggest stars, the NBA is holding its All-Star game in Atlanta this weekend.
Traditionally, the All-Star Game comes with a wave of parties throughout the host city, enjoyed by fans, players and everyone involved. The NBA obviously does not want this to happen this year, because the United States is still mired in a pandemic and large crowds remain dangerous.
The mayor of Atlanta has already issued a statement begging fans and event planners not to come to her city, noting that there will be no NBA sanctioned events within city limits. Apparently, some still tried, and that led NBA lawyers to get involved.
Marc Stein of The New York Times reported on Saturday that the league has already issued 200 whopping orders to cease and desist for prosecutors in Atlanta who have used the All-Star logo and the event.
The NBA sent about 200 letters with orders to cease and desist to several party promoters in the Atlanta area who used the league’s All-Star logo and the name of the event in connection with non-affiliated events scheduled for this weekend, he said. the league spokesman @NYTSports
– Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 6, 2021
It was not difficult to see this situation coming, and it is probably something the NBA was willing to deal with if it meant being able to recover even a fraction of the revenue normally created by the All-Star Game and its surrounding events.
The All-Star Game continues scheduled for Sunday, with the dunk contest, the 3-point contest and the skills challenge, all held before the game or at halftime. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are the captains of this year’s game, but Durant will not play due to an injury.
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