Stern: Howard's future won't hurt All-Star game
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NBA Commissioner David Stern doesn't think Dwight Howard's uncertain future will overshadow the All-Star game in Orlando in three weeks.
The commissioner spoke Wednesday in Houston, where he officially announced that the All-Star Game would be held there in 2013. Houston hosted the league's All-Star weekend in 2006, and the city also hosted the game in 1989, in the Astrodome.
Howard, a six-time All-Star, has asked to be traded, and he'll be a free agent after the season. This year's game will be played Feb. 26, and Stern says he still expects a high TV rating and large global audience.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stern says the lockout has not affected TV ratings or attendance this season. He says the league is doing well in China despite Yao Ming's retirement last summer.