Semi OT: NBA Hornets to San Jose?

[StevenintheATL]

California may have four NBA teams right now, but there is that chance that they could lose a team or even two to relocation down the road.

Sacramento Kings: The Maloofs (as well as the NBA) have being trying get a new arena built to replace Arco Arena in Sacramento for several years now and the voters have rejected publicly funding it. Once an arena in Las Vegas actually gets underway, the Maloofs could be looking at moving the Kings to Las Vegas even if it means playing at the Thomas & Mack (and possibly the Orleans Arena) for a season or two.

L.A. Clippers: They've long been one of the NBA teams thought to be a likely relocation target. Having to share the market with the much more dominant Lakers as well as share an arena (which is nearly unheard of in pro sports in the US [Other than the Giants and Jets sharing the Meadowlands.]) has in many respects made them a second class team in the league (and there's a lot of losses, bad trades, etc. to go with it). The Clippers have also been thought of as the potential team to relocate to Las Vegas. In some respects, perhaps they ought to move out to Anaheim and drop the L.A. Clippers name completely (Become the Anaheim or Orange County [insert new team name here].).

The only way the HP Pavilion becomes the home of an NBA team would be if the Warriors moved there.

The NBA will not put a team back in Seattle until an appropriate venue is in place.

I would not be surprised if the NBA relocates the Hornets to Kansas City or even Pittsburgh. I would not be surprised if Nashville, Columbus, St. Louis or Buffalo were to be in the mix as well.

 

[MAROONSRoad]

California may have four NBA teams right now, but there is that chance that they could lose a team or even two to relocation down the road.

Sacramento Kings: The Maloofs (as well as the NBA) have being trying get a new arena built to replace Arco Arena in Sacramento for several years now and the voters have rejected publicly funding it. Once an arena in Las Vegas actually gets underway, the Maloofs could be looking at moving the Kings to Las Vegas even if it means playing at the Thomas & Mack (and possibly the Orleans Arena) for a season or two.

L.A. Clippers: They've long been one of the NBA teams thought to be a likely relocation target. Having to share the market with the much more dominant Lakers as well as share an arena (which is nearly unheard of in pro sports in the US [Other than the Giants and Jets sharing the Meadowlands.]) has in many respects made them a second class team in the league (and there's a lot of losses, bad trades, etc. to go with it). The Clippers have also been thought of as the potential team to relocate to Las Vegas. In some respects, perhaps they ought to move out to Anaheim and drop the L.A. Clippers name completely (Become the Anaheim or Orange County [insert new team name here].).

The only way the HP Pavilion becomes the home of an NBA team would be if the Warriors moved there.

The NBA will not put a team back in Seattle until an appropriate venue is in place.

I would not be surprised if the NBA relocates the Hornets to Kansas City or even Pittsburgh. I would not be surprised if Nashville, Columbus, St. Louis or Buffalo were to be in the mix as well.

Say goodbye to the Predators, Blue Jackets and Sabres if that were to ever happen. Not all cities -- especially smaller cities -- benefit from adding competition in the form of an additional pro sports franchise with an overlapping season playing in the same venue. Heck, even Atlanta might benefit from getting rid of the Thrashers.

GHOST

 

[Melrose Munch]

I beg to differ. Canucks sell out. Giants have fantastic attendance. Whitecaps begin play in MLS this year. Major reno of BC Place should help Lions. AHL team in Abbotsford. ECHL team in Victoria. Not to mention BCHL teams and Univ sports etc. It`s all good. Don`t mess with success. No need for NBA in Vancouver in my bias opinion!

GHOST

1) Why? Vancouver is too big not to have another major sport.
2)Since we are talking about the big 4, CFL does not count.
3)Hockey is not the be all end all of the world.
4)Their owners have shown intrest in the in moving teams.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Steve, I agree but KC failed already. IMO St Louis and Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. and contract the rest.

 

[sh724]

No for STL! the city cannot support a 4th team it is not big enough. KC actually has more people than STL, but the STL metro area has more people so its considered bigger.

People in STL blindly follow the cardinals even though the owner doesnt care at all about the team or the city as long as he is making money. The Rams greatly improved last year and NFL teams always do well. So the Blues would be hurt if a basketball team came to town.

 

[TrappedInFullerton]

If the Hornets came to San Jose it would definitely be bad for the Sharks' business. They'd possibly lose a lot of ticket sales to people spending money on the Hornets instead. If any team, from any sport, comes to San Jose, it will hurt the Sharks

 

[Corey Perry*]

L.A. Clippers: They've long been one of the NBA teams thought to be a likely relocation target. Having to share the market with the much more dominant Lakers as well as share an arena (which is nearly unheard of in pro sports in the US [Other than the Giants and Jets sharing the Meadowlands.]) has in many respects made them a second class team in the league (and there's a lot of losses, bad trades, etc. to go with it). The Clippers have also been thought of as the potential team to relocate to Las Vegas. In some respects, perhaps they ought to move out to Anaheim and drop the L.A. Clippers name completely (Become the Anaheim or Orange County [insert new team name here].).

The Clippers actually used to play in Anaheim part time in the 90's. They almost moved there permanatly before the Staples Center open, and since then there has been talk about moving them to Anaheim.

 

[MAROONSRoad]

1) Why? Vancouver is too big not to have another major sport.
2)Since we are talking about the big 4, CFL does not count.
3)Hockey is not the be all end all of the world.
4)Their owners have shown intrest in the in moving teams.

1) Greater Vancouver has a population of just over 2.3 million. It has NHL, CFL, MLS, WHL, BCHL and a minor pro baseball team. It is arguable whether it needs, or is too big not to have, a major American professional franchise.
2) The big 4 is the American big 4, not Canadian. I would argue it is really the big 3 in USA anyway judging by ESPNs coverage of the leagues, etc. In Canada, the NHL and CFL are the big 2 professional leagues, regardless of what you might think.
3) I never said hockey is the be all and end all. I am biased and have no interest in the NBA and would prefer if there were no NBA teams in Canada. The reason for that is I suspect if there were more NBA teams in Canada my favorite sports media would focus more coverage on something I have no interest in nor desire to develop an interest in.

GHOST

 

[obsenssive*]

NBA is not a sport!

enough said.

 

[XtremeDave]

L.A. Clippers: They've long been one of the NBA teams thought to be a likely relocation target. Having to share the market with the much more dominant Lakers as well as share an arena (which is nearly unheard of in pro sports in the US [Other than the Giants and Jets sharing the Meadowlands.]) has in many respects made them a second class team in the league (and there's a lot of losses, bad trades, etc. to go with it). The Clippers have also been thought of as the potential team to relocate to Las Vegas. In some respects, perhaps they ought to move out to Anaheim and drop the L.A. Clippers name completely (Become the Anaheim or Orange County [insert new team name here].).

Anaheim has been trying to get the Clippers to move to the Honda Center for years now, but it wont happen as long as Donald Sterling owns the team. Sterling owns a lot of the apartment and condo buildings in Los Angeles and refuses to move his team away from his home, and as long as the rent is paid on time AEG has no problem with them continuing to be a tenant at Staples Center. The Clippers somehow still make a profit, despite the horrible ownership and inept management (this is due to Sterling using the Bill Wirtz model of team ownership which is being a complete cheap-ass). However the Clippers serve their purpose in filling the demand for basketball in LA by people who choose not to buy or cannot afford Lakers tickets, and they are fine with being a second class team.

When Sterling dies or sells the team, its possible they will move, and Anaheim makes sense, but nothing will happen as long as the convicted racist Donald Sterling is the owner of the Clippers.

 

[Melrose Munch]

1) Greater Vancouver has a population of just over 2.3 million. It has NHL, CFL, MLS, WHL, BCHL and a minor pro baseball team. It is arguable whether it needs, or is too big not to have, a major American professional franchise.
2) The big 4 is the American big 4, not Canadian. I would argue it is really the big 3 in USA anyway judging by ESPNs coverage of the leagues, etc. In Canada, the NHL and CFL are the big 2 professional leagues, regardless of what you might think.
3) I never said hockey is the be all and end all. I am biased and have no interest in the NBA and would prefer if there were no NBA teams in Canada. The reason for that is I suspect if there were more NBA teams in Canada my favorite sports media would focus more coverage on something I have no interest in nor desire to develop an interest in.

GHOST

1)Lower Mainland has 2.7 million
2) I only conced this because of poor marketing, thats another threaf
3)So? Change the channel.

 

[berklon]

NBA is not a sport!

enough said.

You're correct. NBA is a league.

 

[Melrose Munch]

You're correct. NBA is a league.

Owned.

 

[MoreOrr]

The NBA will not put a team back in Seattle until an appropriate venue is in place.

I would not be surprised if the NBA relocates the Hornets to Kansas City or even Pittsburgh. I would not be surprised if Nashville, Columbus, St. Louis or Buffalo were to be in the mix as well.

So, has this turned into a thread about where the NBA might put a team that could be problematic for the NHL?

Buffalo is just not a logic option, and pretty much the same goes for Pittsburgh. Those cities are already sports saturated, and there's no chance that the NBA could take the place of any of the established teams.

Columbus is really the only NHL city that could be in serious danger of an NBA team coming to town. Nashville and St. Louis are remotely possible options, but I seriously doubt that the NBA could threaten the Blues existance, and if it couldn't then I also seriously doubt that the NBA would survive there. As for Nashville, I'm not sure that it would be an attractive location for the NBA, and likely a problematic location for the Memphis Grizzlies.

More likely options for the NBA would be Kansas City or Louisville.

I'd love to see the NBA put a team in Las Vegas, and essentially take LV off the NHL consideration.

The only other threat to the NHL (you may laugh) is that the NBA gets back into Seattle (when a new arena gets built, eventually) before the NHL gets there.

 

[Melrose Munch]

St louis has 3 million people. they had all 4 when the city had only 1.9 million for 15 to 20 years . I agree with more orr

 

[OG6ix]

I beg to differ. Canucks sell out. Giants have fantastic attendance. Whitecaps begin play in MLS this year. Major reno of BC Place should help Lions. AHL team in Abbotsford. ECHL team in Victoria. Not to mention BCHL teams and Univ sports etc. It`s all good. Don`t mess with success. No need for NBA in Vancouver in my bias opinion!

GHOST

I beg to differ, i'd like to see more Canadian cities on the sporting map. Also dude, you live a really sad life IMO. Constantly on the message board forefront for Canadian teams, don't want the NHL to have any sort of competition. Hockey is not even that big of a sport to put all your eggs in one basket. That's why our country isn't on the sporting map because of people like you. It's 2011, and I'm estimating you are at least 40 years old.

 

[Melrose Munch]

I beg to differ, i'd like to see more Canadian cities on the sporting map. Also dude, you live a really sad life IMO. Constantly on the message board forefront for Canadian teams, don't want the NHL to have any sort of competition. Hockey is not even that big of a sport to put all your eggs in one basket. That's why our country isn't on the sporting map because of people like you. It's 2011, and I'm estimating you are at least 40 years old.

The thing is he is the type who complains when Canada only wins 15-20 at the largest sporting event in the world....the olympics.

 

[sh724]

St louis has 3 million people. they had all 4 when the city had only 1.9 million for 15 to 20 years . I agree with more orr

Look at the time then compared to now, it was extremely cheaper to go to sporting events and extremely cheaper to run a sports team you did not need 20k+ people every night and to make the playoffs every year to be profitable like you do now.

 

[vannzee]

How is Columbus an option for getting an NBA team? They are to close to Cleveland and the Cavs market area.

The NBA would likely expand to Seattle, Kansas City (because of the arena), Las Vegas (strong relationship there) or the Kentucky area (Lexington or Louisville, where they just built a brand new arena) before touching an NHL market.

After the Expo's tanked in Montreal, no American sports league will touch it.

 

[Melrose Munch]

The expos were in Montreal for 40 years. Selig and Fehr killed them.

 

[OG6ix]

How is Columbus an option for getting an NBA team? They are to close to Cleveland and the Cavs market area.

The NBA would likely expand to Seattle, Kansas City (because of the arena), Las Vegas (strong relationship there) or the Kentucky area (Lexington or Louisville, where they just built a brand new arena) before touching an NHL market.

After the Expo's tanked in Montreal, no American sports league will touch it.

 

[He Lied to Mario]

Say goodbye to the Predators, Blue Jackets and Sabres if that were to ever happen. Not all cities -- especially smaller cities -- benefit from adding competition in the form of an additional pro sports franchise with an overlapping season playing in the same venue. Heck, even Atlanta might benefit from getting rid of the Thrashers.

GHOST

You've never heard of the Buffalo Braves have you?

 

[MAROONSRoad]

I beg to differ, i'd like to see more Canadian cities on the sporting map. Also dude, you live a really sad life IMO. Constantly on the message board forefront for Canadian teams, don't want the NHL to have any sort of competition. Hockey is not even that big of a sport to put all your eggs in one basket. That's why our country isn't on the sporting map because of people like you. It's 2011, and I'm estimating you are at least 40 years old.

Haha, that`s really funny FacePalm -- trying to make things personal is not a form of valid argument. It is called ad hominen (look it up). I am not an indiscriminate sports fan like you apparently. I have no interest in the NBA, NASCAR or WWE and I don`t judge the quality of my existence according to how many American entertainment options are at my disposal.

GHOST

 

[MAROONSRoad]

You've never heard of the Buffalo Braves have you?

You mean the NBA team in Buffalo that folded after a few years in the 1970s and moved to LA? I think that fact supports my argument, not to mention that Buffalo has been a city in relative decline over the past several decades. Do you think it makes sense to add additional major pro sport franchise to a city that may be having trouble supporting existing ones such as the NFL Bills?

GHOST

 

[Melrose Munch]

You mean the NBA team in Buffalo that folded after a few years in the 1970s and moved to LA? I think that fact supports my argument, not to mention that Buffalo has been a city in relative decline over the past several decades. Do you think it makes sense to add additional major pro sport franchise to a city that may be having trouble supporting existing ones such as the NFL Bills?

GHOST

Buffalo has a 40% Black pop. Thats not the reason why. Buffalo is simply too small, thats why.

Besides the braves lasted more than a few years.