Commissioner Adam Silver said his first All-Star Game as an NBA employee was the event in Salt Lake City in 1993. Utah will host the game again 30 years later, in 2023. Photo: Derek Petersen, KSL TV
SALT LAKE CITY — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver visited Salt Lake City Wednesday to announce Utah will host the league’s All-Star Game in 2023.
Gail Miller, the widow of long-time Utah Jazz owner and CEO Larry Miller, noted that Vivint SmartHome Arena was just two years old when Salt Lake City last hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 1993. The next game, she said, should be something else.
“It will be one to remember,” Miller said.
Silver said the 1993 game was his first All-Star Game as an NBA employee.
“Big-time events are part of the DNA of this city,” he observed. “I want to thank the Miller Family and the Utah Jazz organization for their commitment to hosting our All-Star festivities and to developing a program that will leave a lasting impact on the community.”
The 1993 game is near and dear to the hearts of many Jazz fans. Notably, John Stockton and Karl Malone were named the co-MVPs of that game.
“At our heart, Salt Lake City is a basketball town,” Mayor Jackie Biskupski said after introducing herself to an audience of basketball fans following the announcement outside of the Vivint Smart Home Arena. “Welcome back to Salt Lake City.”
In a statement, the NBA said that All-Star on-court events will tipoff on Friday, February 17th, 2023 at Vivint Smart Home Arena, and will culminate with the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 19th.
The All-Star experience will include additional activities for fans of all ages at venues throughout Salt Lake City. Those venues will include the Salt Palace Convention Center and the Huntsman Center on the campus of the University of Utah.
Along with these activities, the NBA says it will bring to Salt Lake City its NBA Cares and Diversity & Inclusion events which traditionally include the league partnering with schools, government, and non-profit organizations to add to the resources of community-based programs.
This story will be updated.