NBA to bring All-Star Game back to Houston in 2013 NBA bringing All-Star festivities back to Toyota Center

After hosting '06 game, city getting return engagement with ’13 contest

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The NBA plans to bring its All-Star Game and weekend-long festivities to Houston for the third time in 2013, two people familiar with the situation said Wednesday.

The game will be played Feb. 17 at Toyota Center, which also hosted the 2006 game.

“It’s a done deal,” a person familiar with the bidding process told the Chronicle on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. “We’re just waiting for the NBA to make the announcement.”

There is no timetable as to when the NBA might formally award the game to Houston, although an announcement could be delayed until the end of the labor lockout, the person said.

The Rockets, who would host the game, were unavailable for comment Wednesday.

In 2006, Toyota Center hosted the NBA All-Stars, a group that included Yao Ming. In 2006, Toyota Center hosted the NBA All-Stars, a group that included Yao Ming. Photo: BRETT COOMER, CHRONICLE Photo: BRETT COOMER, CHRONICLE Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close NBA to bring All-Star Game back to Houston in 2013 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The All-Star Game also was held at the Astrodome in 1989.

Toyota Center will be the site of All-Star festivities leading to the showcase event of the league’s top players, including the Rookie Challenge and the 3-point shooting and slam-dunk contests.

The All-Star Jam Session, an interactive fan experience, will be held a few blocks away at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

The last time the All-Star Game was here it had an estimated economic impact between $80 million to $90 million. In the 2006 All-Star Game, then-Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James scored 29 points and had six rebounds to become at 21 the youngest player to win the MVP Award.

Tracy McGrady, who joined Rockets center Yao Ming in the starting lineup, had a game-high 36 points for the Western Conference in a 122-120 loss to the East.

Karl Malone was MVP of the 1989 game at the Dome, which drew a then-record crowd of 44,735 that stood until 108,713 attended the 2010 game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

During the past decade, Houston has been host to some of the country’s top sporting events, among them Super Bowl XXXVIII and Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in 2004, the NBA All-Star Game in 2006, NCAA South Regionals in 2008 and 2010 and the Final Four this past April. Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Texans, also will host the 2016 Final Four.

The 2012 All-Star Game will be played at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. If the lockout continues through December or January, NBA officials have said the game could be canceled.

NBA commissioner David Stern has said that if the game is canceled Orlando will be awarded a future date.

joseph.duarte@chron.com