It has been a long time since the All-Star game was in the city of the NBA's greatest franchise. Boston has hosted the All-Star game a total of four times in its history. The last time Boston hosted the All-Star events was back in 1964 in the old Boston Garden when the great Oscar Robertson won his second All-Star game MVP. The Big O finished with 26 points while the Celtics' own ended up netting 13 to go along with a game-high 21 boards to lead the Eastern Conference to a win.
The city that hosted the first two All-Star games in NBA history is taking steps to submit an application to host the 2025 All-Star Game. The next two All-Star weekends already have established locations in Salt Lake City in 2023, and Indianapolis in 2024. The news was first released by the Boston Globe. Celtics' ownership that includes Wyc Grousbeck and Steven Pagliuca are going for it to host the All-Star game.
The only problem is that the Celtics do not own the TD Garden. Boston would have to work with the Bruins around their schedule to get All-Star weekend back in the Garden in Boston. The most storied basketball teams and states in the country deserve to have the games' best for the weekend.
The Celtics had the second-most members in the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during this past weekend at 15. The Lakers had 17 members of that team, while the Knicks had the third-most at nine members. The Celtics have the most NBA Championships at 17, the Lakers also have 17, but five of them were when they were in Minneapolis. Having Boston host the event will be a long-time coming, and the owners are trying to make it happen for a city that hasn't hosted an All-Star event since 1999. The Red Sox and Fenway Park was the home for one of the most historic star-filled baseball events in quite some time. Ken Griffey Jr won his third home run derby during that weekend, and Boston's own Pedro Martínez took home the honors for the All-Star game MVP.
Grant Williams in Boston for the three-point contest would be a sight to see. The modern-day NBA has not seen Boston during All-Star weekend. If the Celtics put in the bid to host, the NBA will more than likely give them the opportunity to do so. Former Celtic Javonte Green would be the ideal candidate for the Dunk Contest in the coming years, but especially at the TD Garden. The logistics are in the beginning phases right now, but the hope is there.
This city has been waiting for a big event to come to it for a long time. Paul Pierce and Larry Bird never got to play an All-Star game on their home floor, but Jayson Tatum now has that opportunity. The event would bring more people to Boston, and the businesses around TD Garden would thrive. The T station and buses would be better off. Businesses, in general, would benefit from a weekend like this. The application has not been submitted as of yet, but the reports from the Boston Globe are promising.
The buzz that it will create will be like the 1999 MLB All-Star Game as Pedro Martínez threw two scoreless innings as the game's starter. Getting the scheduling part might be a little difficult, but for a major sports city like Boston, the event will without question be more electric than this year in the city of Cleveland.