NBA All-Star Weekend headed to Phoenix in 2027

The NBA's midseason extravaganza is returning to Phoenix.

The league's 2027 All-Star Weekend will be awarded to the Suns, sources told Shams Charania and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. 

It will be the first time the team has hosted the festivities since 2009, famously capped by the late Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers sharing All-Star Game MVP honors with his former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, who was with the Suns. 

It will also be the fourth time overall, but the third time for what's now known as the Footprint Center.

Outside of winning an NBA championship, the exhibition is another feather in the cap for Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who took over the franchise a year ago from embattled former owner Robert Sarver. 

Earlier this month, Ishbia announced that the Suns will add their own G League franchise in the Phoenix suburbs this coming fall. The G League team is notable as every NBA franchise will have its own developmental affiliate for the first time.

In addition, the Mercury will host the WNBA's own exhibition this July before that league's Summer Olympics break. Phoenix last hosted the WNBA's All-Star Weekend in 2014 and also hosted the second-ever event in 2000.

Of course, the biggest moves since the change in stewardship have been the trades for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, the dismissal of Monty Williams as head coach after last season and the move of live game telecasts to local broadcast television. 

However, All-Star Weekend is a major business move for the franchise as the influx of out-of-town visitors for the festivities is guaranteed to drive more revenue into its coffers.

The Footprint Center is not the newest facility to have All-Star Weekend, but with five prior events and two upcoming between the NBA and WNBA, it has proven to be a reliable one. 

Formerly known as American West Arena, the US Airways Center and Talking Stick Resort Arena, the venue has undergone two separate renovations in its 34-year history in hopes of keeping up with modern amenities that define other major arenas around the country. 

Generally, a few nips and tucks will get the attention of the league's brass as it is likely to reward All-Star Weekend to the newest arenas before circling back to older venues. 

Phoenix will follow San Francisco (Golden State's Chase Center in 2025) and Los Angeles (the Clippers' Intuit Dome in 2026) as the host city for NBA All-Star Weekend.