City of Milwaukee, Bucks, lose out to Miami for 2028 NBA all-star game

The City of Milwaukee and the Bucks have reportedly lost out on a bid to host the NBA all-star game yet again, with the league finalizing Miami as the host of the 2028 exhibition. The Bucks, who traded star Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat in the offseason , and the city put in a bid in on the 2028 contest back in 2024. ESPN originally reported the league's intent to pick Miami. When Fiserv Forum opened in 2018, NBA commissioner Adam Silver never gave a date for a Milwaukee all-star game but did tell WTMJ, “Certainly, an All-Star game is on the horizon." But in early 2024 The Oklahoman, a USA TODAY NETWORK property, reported the NBA changed some rules for host cities to require: 7,250 hotel rooms. At least three, five-star hotels. A convention center with no less than 650,000 square feet of space. An airport with at least 75 domestic nonstop flights and 20 international flights. At the time of the 2025 all-star game, Milwaukee could not meet those requirements but the Sports Business Journal reported that the league would not exclude Milwaukee, or other small markets, based solely on the aforementioned categories. According to the Sports Business Journal report, the league would consider small markets if the following criteria were satisfied: Centralized multi-use entertainment properties to create an NBA campus that can host music, fashion shows, the NBA Crossover fan fest and NBAcon. An undisclosed number of seats and suites in the primary and secondary arena venues. A volume of rideshare capabilities so the league can create a modern transportation infrastructure. The Baird Center renovation was completed in October 2024 and totals 1.3 million square feet and in 2026, the 4,500-seat Landmark Credit Union Live concert venue opened next to Fiserv Forum. According to Visit Milwaukee, the city has just over 7,080 hotel rooms within a half mile of the convention center. A new hotel is being developed in the Deer District and is planned to have 156 rooms.