NBA switches Indianapolis’ all-star game to 2024

CHICAGO, IL – FEBRUARY 16: Nikola Jokic #2 of Team LeBron looks on during the 69th NBA All-Star Game on February 16, 2020 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Copyright 2020 NBAE Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Indianapolis will now host the 2024 NBA all-star game, leaving the 2021 showcase in limbo as the league grapples with scheduling changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was announced on Wednesday.

Indianapolis was supposed to play host to the 2021 game in February but the league said that the health situation related to the Covid-19 pandemic forced them to reschedule it.

“While we are disappointed that the NBA All-Star Game will not take place in Indianapolis in 2021, we are looking forward to the Pacers and the city hosting the game and surrounding events in 2024,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

“I want to thank Herb Simon, Steve Simon, Rick Fuson and the entire Pacers organization as well as the NBA All-Star 2021 Host Committee and the community of Indianapolis for working with us to reschedule our All-Star activities.”

No details about the 2021 game were released.

Cleveland will host in 2022 and Salt Lake City will do so in 2023. The 2024 game will be played in February at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the home of the Pacers.

The state of Indiana has seen a spike in coronavirus deaths in the past month with a record 103 deaths on Thursday, taking the state’s total deaths to close to 5,500.