Wish upon a star

The NBA All-Star Game is heading back to Houston: Another big sports coup forHoops City

Blake Griffin dunking over a car during the 2011 NBA All-Star Game festivities.
Expect to see the NBA's best in Houston for an All-Star showcase in 2013.

When it comes to hosting major sporting events, Houston is quickly finding itself in another league.

The latest slam dunk for the Bayou City is the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. The NBA is set to award the game to Houston, as first reported by FOX26 sports director Mark Berman.

NBA All-Star Weekend — which has morphed into a three-day event that includes All-Star Saturday night (slam dunk contest, 3-point shootout, skills competition, etc) and lavish parties that draw mega celebrities — is set to take place in Houston Feb. 15-17, 2013. This is the second time in eight years that the Toyota Center will host the NBA's showcase midseason event (the game was here in 2006).

With the Final Four having been played at Reliant Stadium last April (and set to return again in 2016), Houston is fast becoming the center of the hoops universe.

The good news about hosting the game in 2013 is that LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and the rest of the league's stars should be back playing basketball by then (you'd hope). The current NBA lockout is expected to whip out a good chunk of the upcoming 2011-12 season, perhaps even the whole thing, putting the 2012 All-Star Game in Orlando in serious jeopardy.

James won the MVP award in the last All-Star Game played in Houston, putting up 29 points as a 21-year-old who everyone still loved. In the Toyota return engagement, younger stars like Blake Griffin (the Clipper who dunked over a car in the most memorable scene from last year's All-Star Weekend) figure to be the more likely fan favorites though.

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chill out

Houston Astros ballpark gets cool new name for the next 15 years

Courtesy of the Houston Astros

The Astros' stadium will have a new name in 2025.

The Houston Astros are about to have the coolest ballpark in Major League Baseball. The team announced on Monday, November 18 that its has reached a naming rights agreement HVAC manufacturer Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc.

Beginning on January 1, 2025, the stadium will be known as Daikin Park (die-kin). Scheduled to run through the 2039 season, the new name replaces Minute Maid Park, which has been the stadium’s name since 2002. It opened in 1999 as Enron Field.

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Astros fans online are already calling the new stadium “The Ice Box,” replacing its informal “The Juice Box” moniker. That name feels likely to stick.

Japan-based Daikin Industries is a leading manufacturer of HVAC systems. It sells air conditioning units and other products under brand names such as Daikin, Goodman, Amana® and Quietflex. Critically, it operates Daikin Texas Technology Park in nearby Waller, which is the largest HVAC manufacturing facility in North America. The company employs approximately 10,000 people in Greater Houston, according to a release.

“We are excited to be partnering with Daikin for our ballpark’s naming rights,” Astros owner Jim said. “Daikin is an international company that proudly calls the Greater Houston area its North American home. The Houston Astros and Daikin share the same values, a commitment to excellence and a desire to give back to our local community. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of this ballpark in 2025, I am proud to have Daikin alongside us to create even more special memories for our fans now and in the future.”

The Astros will use the revenue for new stadium amenities and other upgrades. It will also continue the team’s various community initiatives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. the Houston Chronicle notes that naming rights deals may be worth anywhere from $3.5 million per year (T-Mobile park in Seattle) to $11 million per year for the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field.

The team’s first game in Daikin Park will take place on Monday, March 24, which it plays an exhibition against its Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. It will open the regular season on Thursday, March 27 against the New York Mets.

“Daikin fit all of the criteria we set out to find in a naming rights partner,” Astros senior vice president Matt Brand added. “Their name and reputation fit our iconic downtown Houston home, and their values mesh perfectly with those of the Astros. We are grateful to partner with the entire Daikin team and to help them succeed in their business goals. Daikin Park will be a special place for our fans for many years to come.”

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