The National Basketball Assn. will move its...

The National Basketball Assn. will move its annual meeting this September from Scottsdale, Ariz., because of the state’s failure to observe a legal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. A new site will be selected soon, Commissioner David Stern said.

The NBA joined approximately 30 organizations in canceling meetings in Arizona since January, when Gov. Evan Mecham rescinded an executive order by his predecessor designating the third Monday in January as a holiday honoring King. Mecham recently proclaimed the third Sunday in January as a day honoring King and the civil rights movement, but critics have denounced that as a token act and continued to demand a paid King holiday.

“This decision is especially painful for us because of the excellent relationship that the Phoenix Suns and the NBA have with our fans in Arizona,” Stern said. “However, the political climate surrounding the controversy makes it inappropriate for us to convene in Arizona at this time.”