Baseball, however, has now been dropped from the Olympics, and China has demolished the stadiums (leaving an adjacent basketball stadium).

ECONOMIST: Baseball in China

Forest City Ratner, currently engaged in a vast project for the Atlantic Yards on the Brooklyn waterfront, which includes a basketball stadium for the Nets designed by Frank Gehry, has made token changes in cooperation with community representatives, although questions remain about densities and scale.

WSJ: New York Stadium Deals: Good and Bad

Baseball woud be staged at the famous Yankee Stadium, tennis at Flushing Meadows, basketball at Madison Square Garden and the triathlon in Central Park.

BBC: Olympic X - most sports on two intersecting transport axes

The stadium itself, Aquatics Centre, Velodrome and handball and basketball arenas and media centre have already been built.

BBC: London 2012: Boris Johnson says 'we are ready'

Besides the All-Star game, the city boasts two new baseball stadiums, a new basketball arena and a role in hosting next year's Super Bowl at the new MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

WSJ: NYC unveils more details for All-Star game