Civil and human rights groups are decrying the NBA’s decision to make Charlotte eligible again to host the league's All-Star game.The NBA announced Friday that since North Carolina lawmakers repealed and replaced House Bill 2, Charlotte would be eligible to host the All-Star game in 2019.
The league had pulled the event from Charlotte this year because of the so-called bathroom bill.
Related: A State Divided: HB2 & Transgender Rights
But the Human Rights Campaign and Equality NC issued a joint statement saying it was "deeply disappointing" to see North Carolina rewarded for "doubling down on discrimination."
The law that replaced HB2 prevents local governments from adopting LGBT anti-discrimination measures until 2020.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday the league's Board of Governors discussed it during their meetings this week and made what was "not an easy decision."
He said it's "not a done deal" that Charlotte will get the game, because the league would need assurances of anti-discriminatory policies for venues that would host its events and hotels they would use.
But Silver said it is his "expectation" that Charlotte would get the game if those assurances were met. He said those requirements would need to be met within about the next month.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
