The NBA and the Charlotte Hornets just released a joint statement saying that they have been in continued talks with lawmakers in North Carolina about adjusting the HB2 anti-LGBT law, and that they do not endorse the "fixes" currently being floated:
"We have been engaged in dialogue with numerous groups at the city and state levels, but we do not endorse the version of the bill that we understand is currently before the legislature. We remain committed to our guiding principles of inclusion, mutual respect and equal protections for all. We continue to believe that constructive engagement with all sides is the right path forward. There has been no new decision made regarding the 2017 NBA All-Star Game."
As North Carolina lawmakers continue to seek a way around HB2 — known by some crudely as "the bathroom bill" — without repealing it, it is becoming more and more clear that a showdown between the NBA and Raleigh is coming. If the bill is not repealed in full, the NBA will have little recourse at this point but to withdraw the league's All-Star game.
A major showdown is coming.
