The 2018 NBA Finals will be held in Los Angeles, with Staples Center hosting the event for the third time, league and city officials announced at the arena Tuesday.
It will mark the sixth time that Los Angeles has hosted the All-Star Game, the most for any city. New York has hosted it five times, and Boston and Philadelphia have each hosted it four times. The 2017 NBA All-Star Game will be held in Charlotte.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, AEG President and CEO Dan Beckerman, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Comission President Kathy Schloessman made the announcement collectively at Staples Center before the Lakers-Grizzlies game.
"Los Angeles is known for first-class hospitality and entertainment, making it the perfect host for NBA All-Star," Silver said. "The city is home to some of the most passionate basketball fans in addition to extraordinary facilities, including Staples Center and L.A. Live."
The game is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018.
"We couldn't be more excited to see the All-Star Game coming back," Garcetti said. "Let's think: It's 2004, 2011 and now 2018. We might just have to move it here permanently, Commissioner, but we certainly are ready for the task."
Staples Center hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 2004 and 2011. The nearby Forum in Inglewood hosted the 1972 and 1983 All-Star Games, and the soon-to-be-demolished Los Angeles Sports Arena hosted the 1963 game.
"I'm biased, [but] this is the greatest city in the world, so the All-Star Game should be here every other year, anyway,'' said Lakers coach Byron Scott, an Inglewood native.
The All-Stars haven't played farther west than Houston since 2011, with the last two games being played in New York and Toronto. Some players said the wintry conditions in both cities, including record-low temperatures in Toronto, slightly dampened the usual festivities.
Good weather was mentioned several times during the announcement of the 2018 game, but Silver laughed at the notion that sunshine was a determining factor in the NBA's choice.
"Fortunately, our game is played indoors,'' Silver said. "And actually, I think it was very much a bonding experience in Toronto for our guests. In fairness to Toronto, it was cold, but it was even unusually cold for Toronto, and it was unusually cold for New York the year before, but it didn't stop anyone from having a great time."
Of the five All Star Games held in Los Angeles, the Western Conference All-Stars have won three times, and in those three victories a Lakers player was named MVP: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Jerry West.