NBA Draft Being Moved to Newark

The League seems to like Newark, enough to move one of their most-watched and anticipated events from MSG to Brick City. The Star-Ledger reports: “The NBA Draft, the showcase event on the league’s offseason calendar, will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark on June 23, 2011, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. The people requested anonymity because a formal announcement will be made tonight by NBA Commissioner David Stern before the Nets host the Detroit Pistons. A statement released by the NBA today said Stern will be joined by Newark mayor Cory Booker and Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek. The NBA’s pending announcement marks a further step in the relationship between the NBA and the city of Newark. The temporary, two-year stay of the Nets in Newark is expected to draw heavy traffic to the area and, according to people familiar with the relationship, the NBA has been working closely with city officials to help spur economic growth in the downtown area. For the first time in over 10 years, the draft will be held outside of New York’s Madison Square Garden, and it will undoubtedly be a draw for Newark’s downtown area which has slowly been making itself into a destination spot for years.”