CLEVELAND -- Next year, Progressive Field will host the 2019 MLB All-Star Game.
It won't be long after that that Cleveland is once again an All-Star city.
According to Crain's Cleveland Business' Kevin Kleps, the Cleveland Cavaliers will soon announce that Quicken Loans Arena has been selected to host the NBA All-Star Game. The next available NBA All-Star Game without a host city is 2022.
According to Kleps, an official announcement could come as early as Thursday.
Cleveland has been linked as a potential host city for the NBA All-Star Game dating back to the 2016 announcement of the current ongoing renovations at Quicken Loans Arena. Although the original hope was that the city would host the exhibition in either 2020 or 2021, those games were later awarded to Indianapolis and Chicago, respectively, although Cleveland did beat the league's deadline for beginning renovations on its arena last September.
Still currently ongoing, the renovations at 'The Q' are expected to be finished in time for the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. Last month, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert provided an additional $45 million to the project, bringing the cost of the project -- which is being split between the team and city -- to $185 million.
Last year, the agreed upon 50-50 split of costs between the Cavs and the city nearly fell apart after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled the deal must head to a public vote -- threatening the initially anticipated start time, as well as Cleveland's chances of potentially hosting an All-Star Game as a result of the renovations. But after a group named the Greater Cleveland Congregations withdrew its petition opposing the transformation, Gilbert and the Cavs recommitted their $70 million to the project, with the city pledging the other $70 million.
Cleveland last hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 1997. Should Quicken Loans Arena in fact host the 2022 exhibition, it would serve as the 75th anniversary of the NBA All-Star Game.