Bucks, Milwaukee pursue hosting NBA All-Star Game

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Fiserv Forum has already been the stage for the NBA Finals, but the Milwaukee Bucks are making the case why the arena and the city of Milwaukee should be the epicenter of the league's All-Star Game.

Young Bucks fans Quintin, Beckett and Jacoby of New Berlin told CBS 58 they watched this year's edition of the All-Star Game that took place in Cleveland.

"Giannis, he had some good dunks," Quintin said.

The young basketball fans said they would welcome the prospect of the All-Star Game coming to their hometown.

"Yeah, definitely," Quintin said. "I'd probably come if that happened."

Milwaukee last hosted the league's showcase of its best talent in 1977, but now the defending champion Bucks are pursuing hosting duties for the event.

"We're working with the NBA to submit a response to their proposal to host the All-Star Game," Bucks Senior Vice President Michael Belot told CBS 58. "That we've partnered with the city, with the state and local corporations to make sure we put our best foot forward to show that Milwaukee would be a tremendous host."

The team said a modern arena, booming downtown and fervent fandom for the sport make them a strong candidate to host the event.

"Milwaukee really has everything that the NBA could possibly want for its biggest showcase and we're thrilled to hopefully be chosen soon," Belot said.

The NBA All-Star Game stands out from similar exhibitions of other leagues for its entertainment value on the court, but also for representing a unique cross section of sport, music, fashion and culture.

"Putting Milwaukee on what is really a global stage which is what the NBA All-Star Game is," Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce president Tim Sheehy said in an interview. "It's watched all over the country, it's a week-long event and I think this summer is when we would apply for the All-Star Game."

The event is also an economic driver.

"It's not just the All-Star Game, there's All-Star Saturday Night, a variety of activities the entire week," Belot said. "So it's really a spectacle and the economic impact is significant."

"This brings in new revenue into hotels, into restaurants, into people spending here, but we also get unlimited coverage across the globe while the All-Star Game [and] all-star week is going on," Sheehy said.

Both the Bucks and MMAC said a new downtown hotel will boost the city's chances of hosting events like the NBA All-Star Game.

Indianapolis is set to host the event in 2024. The next opportunity for Milwaukee to potentially host the game would be 2025.