McDonald’s All-American Games leaving Chicago for Atlanta

The McDonald’s All-American Games are leaving Chicago for Atlanta.

Organizers announced the move to Atlanta on Wednesday; they had announced the departure from Chicago in June. The United Center has hosted the games the last seven years, attracting more than 96,000 fans during the run. The games used to rotate cities every year but stayed put in Chicago starting in 2011.

The 2018 boys and girls games will be held March   28 at Philips Arena. Atlanta last hosted the boys’ game in 1992.

A brawl occurred after the game at the United Center in late March. More than a dozen people were seen fighting in a video sent to the Sun-Times.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the city of Atlanta and Philips Arena to bring the McDonald’s All-American Games back to the state of Georgia,” Morgan Wootten, Hall of Fame coach and McDonald’s All-American Games selection committee chairman, said in a statement. “We’re equally grateful to the city of Chicago and our local partners that helped make the games a great success for the last seven years, and we can’t wait to bring our annual games to a passionate basketball fan base in Atlanta.”

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Email: mobrien@suntimes.com