Cleveland awarded 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Cleveland will host the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver, Cleveland Cavaliers chairman Dan Gilbert and Cleveland mayor Frank G. Jackson held a press conference on Thursday.

The league will be commemorating its 75th anniversary in 2022. The 71st NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022 at Quicken Loans Arena, the home of the Cavaliers.

Cleveland hasn't hosted the event since 1997. The city also hosted the All-Star Game in 1981.

"Cleveland is a passionate sports city with a proven track record of hosting large-scale, global events," Silver said in a news release. "We thank Dan Gilbert, Len Komoroski and the civic leaders for their commitment, and we look forward to a weeklong celebration of our game."

Quicken Loans Arena CEO Len Komoroski, Cuyahoga County executive Armond Budish and U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge also attended Thursday's announcement.

"We are proud to host NBA All-Star weekend in Cleveland in 2022," Gilbert said. "We have been working with the NBA, the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County to deliver this iconic event to Northeast Ohio for the last couple of years. The transformation and new state-of-the-art Quicken Loans Arena was an important factor in the NBA's decision to choose Cleveland for this exciting classic broadcast across the globe. The world will get to see the modern Cleveland and all of its diversity, innovation and promise for the future."

Charlotte is hosting the 2019 All-Star Game. The event heads to Chicago in 2020 and Indianapolis in 2021.