Why Hasn’t Milwaukee Bucks Hosted an NBA All-Star Game Yet?

In 2024, the NBA All-Star event is being held in the city of Indianapolis. That stadium is far from bustling coastal metropolises like New York, Miami, Los Angeles, or San Francisco, with a population of fewer than 900,000 people. It’s a special day for Indianapolis, but a disappointing one for Milwaukee, a city with similar traits located 450km north of Indianapolis.

Many wonder why Milwaukee, with an equally passionate fan base and a modern arena like the Fiserv Forum completed in 2018, has not had the honor of hosting an All-Star game.

In the past, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had promised that Milwaukee would have the opportunity to host the All-Star game once the Fiserv Forum was completed. However, the city has still been waiting since as far back as 1977, nearly half a century ago.

Why Can’t Milwaukee Bucks Host an All-Star Game? Milwaukee’s conditions are no worse than other small cities like Salt Lake City (Utah Jazz), Cleveland (Cleveland Cavaliers), or Indianapolis (Indiana Pacers). However, Milwaukee will have to wait for at least another 2 years, as the rights to host the All-Star 2025 have been granted to San Francisco.

Damian Lillard Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks (NBA Entertainment) The last time San Francisco hosted an All-Star game was in 2000, while Los Angeles has hosted it 3 times since the beginning of the new century. This is not unusual, as San Francisco and Los Angeles are bustling cities with strong consumer markets. Moreover, they have sufficient infrastructure, hotel rooms, as well as domestic and international flight routes to accommodate the influx of visitors on All-Star game day.

For Milwaukee, building the Fiserv Forum may sometimes not be enough for Adam Silver to fulfill his promise, especially when they also need to ensure fan service requirements. With a city heavily focused on wheat farming and beer production, Milwaukee clearly lags behind many other cities on the NBA’s annual hosting list.

However, hope is not lost for Milwaukee. Remember, the Milwaukee Bucks still have one of the best players in the world in Giannis Antetokounmpo. He continues to maintain peak performance and is fully capable of competing in the NBA for many more years. The waiting will be rewarded, just as Milwaukee Bucks waited 50 years to once again touch the NBA trophy in 2021.