John Legend ended 2016 on a high-note with the release of his fifth studio LP Darkness and Lights (Dec. 2). 2017 won’t be starting off too bad for the 10-time Grammy Award winner either as he’ll be headlining the 2017 NBA All-Star Game halftime show on February 19th in New Orleans, Louisiana.
This announcement comes one year after the league backed the game out of North Carolina, amidst objections to House Bill 2, which limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the state.
“Our week-long schedule of All-Star events and activities is intended to be a global celebration of basketball, our league, and the values for which we stand, and to bring together all members of the NBA community — current and former players, league and team officials, business partners, and fans. While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2.”
TNT will televise the event for the 15th consecutive year and will kick off at 8 P.M. EST on Sunday, February 19th.