Now that the Hornets finally have an owner who isn't every other NBA owner, it's time for the association to pay up. The 2014 All-Star Game will be held in New Orleans, which hasn't hosted it since all the way back in 2008.

While NO getting yet another ASG is part of Tom Benson's deal (along with offseason renovations to the New Orleans Arena), the NBA has settled into a nice little Florida-New Orleans-Texas-Arizona-California rotation. It looks a lot like the Super Bowl roll call—warm weather party cities. And that's cool. No one cares about the actual All-Star Game. It's all about All-Star Weekend, and the accompanying nightlife. Let the NHL spend their Februaries in Ottawa or Columbus, celebrating the heritage of pond hockey and fucking miserable winters that just make you want to stab yourself in the gut just to stay warm. The NBA's keeping "Black Thanksgiving" in places people actually want to be.

[Times-Picayune]