Posted by John Vrooman on Thursday, September 29, 2016 in National Basketball Association.

Series of Interviews with Charlotte Observer and Charlotte Biz Journal.

The economic threat of the additional loss of NCAA and ACC tournaments from HB2 is now becoming critically real in the research triangle and will soon be realized throughout Carolina sports heaven. The love of sports super-cedes political divisions and unites all of Carolina, and ironically the simple but symbolically powerful economics of sports may be where Carolina finally draws the line against the self-defeating and economically irrational exclusionary politics of Raleigh’s HB2.

The recent police shooting in Charlotte and subsequent unrest now gives the CIAA additional incentive to pull its basketball tournament from a besieged Charlotte, on top of HB2. But while the two socio-political issues are similar in their overtly discriminatory nature they are fundamentally different in that, while HB2 is peculiar to the reactionary politics of Carolina, arbitrary police brutality and gross misconduct are symptomatic of much deeper and wider spread institutional racism now being witnessed in the current collision of cultures throughout the US.

The mega-hit already taken by the Queen City’s progressive reputation by the self-inflicted no-win politically polarizing meta-mess surrounding HB2 has become economically real and significantly larger and more tangible than the actual economic impact of the loss of one-time events like the NBA All-Star Game and NCAA and ACC tourneys.

Economically boycotting Carolina for HB2 and reclaiming what remains of her progressive New South reputation has an immediate solution in the repeal of a reactionary and self-destructive political and economic poison of HB2. The recent shooting is Charlotte is the same as now being witnessed throughout the US and the practical real world solution is not so easily at hand.

The economic stakes for Carolina are high and rising. Eight of the 12 institutions in the CIAA are from the state of North Carolina, and boycotting the 2017 basketball tournament may ironically serve to punish and embarrass Charlotte at the wider expense of Carolina.

The institutional problem of inner city crime and police violence is not unique to Charlotte or Carolina or the New South. The symptoms are many and the causes run deep through time and space. Institutional racism and excessive police force is our shared American problem and the solution is complex and multifaceted beyond the simple and possibly self-defeating tactics of boycotting tournaments. There is nowhere to run, the enemy is us.

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The economic loss of a one-time event like the NBA All-Star game is overtly embarrassing for Charlotte but amounts to small-time chump change compared to the mega-hit now being taken by the progressive economic reputation of Charlotte and ultimately all of Carolina because of Raleigh’s reactionary politics of HB2.

 The added economic threat of the additional loss of NCAA basketball tourneys from HB2 is now becoming critically real in the research triangle and will soon be realized throughout Carolina’s college basketball heaven. This may be where basketball crazy Carolina finally draws the line against the self-defeating and economically irrational politics of Raleigh.

 The unfortunate conservative economic lesson that Raleigh is about to be taught, beyond the largely politically symbolic NBA all-star boycott, is that when progressive free-market economics meets reactionary politics, progressive economics always trumps irrational discrimination.

 The NBA, NCAA and the entire outside world are not trying to bow-up and tell Carolina what to do, they are just expressing their free choice what not to do in the face of the politics of reactionary exclusion. The loss of the NBA All-Star game will be largely symbolic for Charlotte but it will become economically real for all of Carolina when amplified by the retrogressive politics of reactionary exclusion from Raleigh.

The singular loss of the NBA All-Star game in itself will probably be more symbolic than real for Charlotte, but the more tangible mega-damage to the reputation and future of all of Carolina will be economically retrogressive.

The reactionary political HB2 solution in search of a non-existing problem has become a major economic problem in itself. Conservative exclusionary politics and free-market inclusionary economics just don’t mix.

Playing divisive political games of intolerance in Raleigh will lead to an economic backlash to the business community in Charlotte from the outside world that will be swift, severe and retrogressive.

The mega-hit already taken by the Queen City’s progressive reputation by the discriminatory and divisive NC LGBT law will be economically real and significantly larger and more tangible than the actual economic impact of the loss of a one-time event like the NBA All-Star Game.

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— Re possible move of the ASG from Charlotte: How complicated is it to find another location?

Relocation of the all-star game/weekend gala in the middle of February (17-19) would probably not be that difficult to schedule in several non-resort NBA markets in cooler climates with warmer hospitality. The circumstantial expense of rescheduling could become somewhat problematic but certainly not prohibitive for the League, its sponsors and visitors. The economic cost of simply waiting is not going to be a critical factor for the NBA in its ongoing standoff v. Raleigh.

The disadvantage for the NBA in waiting and drawing its line in the sand beyond the summer deadline has more to do with getting mired in the in the divisive political morass that currently stagnates US/Carolina politics. The longer the NBA’s delay the less credible the threat becomes and the more entangled the League becomes in passively following the political news cycle.

If nothing is done by either side of the standoff between Raleigh and Charlotte until after the general election then the NBA will have lost all leverage.

— What kind of impact would this have on the Hornets as a business if the league pulls out? Silver has expressed concern for this.

If the League pulls the ASG from Charlotte before the election, then the Carolina divide between Raleigh and Charlotte, rural and urban, reactionary and progressive, exclusive and inclusive will split the electorate smack down the middle if they haven’t already been divided enough. Part of the cultural divide could be an embarrassing  reaction against Michael Jordan’s Hornets for no other reason than political payback. My guess is that most of the reactionaries are not associated with the NBA or the Hornets anyway and if anything can unify Carolina it would be winning basketball.

The unfortunate lesson that Carolina is about to learn beyond the politically symbolic NBA all-star boycott is that when progressive economics meets reactionary politics, progressive economics will usually win in the end. That’s why our economic future is more politically and culturally inclusive than the past.

— Do you think this sets a precedent for the kind of laws a city/state has in place if it is bidding for a big pro sports event?

Yes the political climate is already a major factor in the location decision of all firms that provide more real jobs than the highly visible NBA. The exception here in the case of NC HB2 is the bill was passed without debate at midnight after the NBA decision was already made. The NBA is not trying to bully-up and tell Carolina what to do, they are just expressing what they choose not to do in the face of the politics of reactionary exclusion. The loss of the NBA All-Star game will be largely symbolic for Charlotte but it will become economically real for all of Carolina if amplified  by the retrogressive politics of reactionary exclusion.

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The NBA is currently riding a wave of historical popularity in the playoffs that will continue throughout the classic NBA Finals matchup of the Lebron Cavs v. the Curry Dubs. The singular loss of the NBA All-Star game in itself will probably be more symbolic than real for Charlotte, but the more tangible mega-damage to the reputation and future of all of Carolina will be economically retrogressive.

The reactionary political HB2 solution in search of a non-existing problem has become a major economic problem in itself. Conservative exclusionary politics and free-market inclusionary economics just don’t mix.

When the reactionary politics of exclusion calls out the progressive economics of inclusion, it will be the economically irrational reactionaries who are ultimately excluded and left behind in their own political dustbin.

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Playing divisive political games of intolerance in Raleigh will lead to an economic backlash to the business community in Charlotte that will be swift, severe and retrogressive for.

The mega-hit already taken by the Queen City’s progressive reputation by the discriminatory and divisive NC LGBT law will be economically real and significantly larger and more tangible than the actual economic impact of the loss of a one-time event like the NBA All-Star Game.

The NBA moved swiftly and severely in forcing the sale of the LA Clippers through the credible boycott threat of relatively important playoff games by the players. Obviously the longer the delay of a boycott by NBA owners, the less credible, less threatening and less meaningful the prospect of pulling the NBA All-Star gala becomes.

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