LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — NBA officials announced Thursday the league will move the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte over the state's controversial transgender bathroom bill.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the league says it hopes to announce a new location for next February's events shortly. It hopes to reschedule the 2019 game for Charlotte.

The league's decision comes shortly after stage legislators revisited the law and chose to leave it largely unchanged.

Commissioner Adam Silver had said the league needed to make a decision this summer about its plans.

Silver had previously threatened such a move unless the law, known as House Bill 2, was amended.

The state's failure to "change discriminatory legislation targeting the state's LGBT community" was behind the move, according to
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

New Orleans has emerged as a potential front-runner to host the Feb. 19 game, according to Wojnarowski.

Charlotte Hornets Chairman and NBA legend Michael Jordan released a statement which read in part: ""We understand the NBA's decision and the challenges around holding the NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte this season. There was an exhaustive effort from all parties to keep the event in Charlotte, and we are disappointed we were unable to do so. With that said, we are pleased that the NBA opened the door for Charlotte to host All-Star Weekend again as soon as an opportunity was available in 2019."

Under HB2, which was passed by North Carolina voters in March, requires people to use public restrooms that corresponding with the sex designated on their birth certificate. The law also excludes LGBT people from state anti-discrimination protection and prevents local governments from adopting their own anti-discrimination measures.

Backlash over the law has seen Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and Maroon 5 cancel shows in North Carolina in response.

The law is currently the subject of lawsuits filed in May by both the state and the federal government.

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