Yahoo Sports rips on Indy, arguing All-Star Game should be moved – Fox 59

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind- Indianapolis is getting ready to welcome thousands of basketball fans for the NBA All-Star game next season, but apparently some people want that to change.

"Chicago was cold, but Chicago is one of the best cities in the nation, we get that," Lajethro Jenkins said in a video tweeted out by Yahoo Sports NBA on Thursday. "But Indianapolis... why?!"

If you plan to post a video bashing a major US city... prepare for the backlash. Jenkins was about to receive his fair share.

What?! This is the Hoosier state man, we bleed basketball around here man! said Evansville resident Hunter Taylor in response to seeing the video. "Not only do you have the basketball state around here, but you've got all kinds of attractions around here.

In the tweet, Jenkins openly bashes Indiana before vowing to get a petition together to make the NBA move the game somewhere else.

"We have created a petition to get the next All-Star Game somewhere people actually give a single solitary [BLEEP] about visiting," Jenkins says in the video.

Yahoo Sports deleted the tweet a few hours later, but not before Hoosiers got a chance to see it for themselves.

Indianapolis, its the basketball center of the world," said Craig Knapp, who was also visiting the city. "I can't believe they wouldn't want to have the NBA All-Star game here.

Outrage from Hoosiers began pouring in. Even former Colt Pat McAfee tweeted, calling Yahoo Sports irrelevant.'

"They stood up and said no, we're not going to be made fun of as a city that's hosted more Final Fours and more major sporting events than arguably any city in the world," said Chris Gahl, Senior Vice President of Visit Indy.

Gahl says the tweet was probably just meant as a joke, but he's more excited about the response that came after.

"What we saw was Indianapolis residents take to social media, respond to this Yahoo Sports NBA tweet, and defend their city," Gahl said.

A few Hoosiers also made their own petition, asking for the NBA to ban Yahoo Sports and Jenkins from the All-Star Game.

It should definitely be here, All-Star game should definitely be here," said Austin Wulff, also in town visiting.

A tweet probably meant as a joke quickly took a wrong turn, and taught the internet that no one messes with Indiana and basketball.

"We care about basketball more here in the state of Indiana than youll find anywhere else, Taylor said.

The 2021 NBA All-Star Game is set to take place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Valentines Day 2021.

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Yahoo Sports rips on Indy, arguing All-Star Game should be moved - Fox 59