Hornets deal is done

[Mel_13]

It looks as if our New Orleans Hornets will stay ours for a while longer.

Although there is no word yet from the state, city, NBA, or new ownership, the New Orleans Hornets, owned by the NBA, will be sold within the next 10 days to 2 weeks to an out-of-town owner.

The bad news is it's not a local owner with New Orleans ties. The good news is the new owner of the Hornets is buying the team to keep them in the Crescent City, at least until 2024, and that's great news for New Orleanians, even if you're not a basketball fan. NBA commissioner David Stern kept his promise of finding an owner who would keep the team in New Orleans.

The new out-of-town owner will pony up $340 million for the team. Well, actually a little less. He'll have some New Orleans based minority owners putting up some of the $340 million price tag.

The arena will get some cosmetic upgrades and the state will even chip in in the form of inducements for the team.

Let's recap: an out of town majority owner. A group of local businessmen owning a minority interest. $340 million price tag. Locked and loaded in New Orleans and the Arena til 2024 with no escape clause. This is great news for the city of new Orleans and the entire Gulf south region. The Saints are here long term and now so are the Hornets.

http://www.abc26.com/news/newswithatwist/newswithaview/wgno-hornets-deal-is-done-20120224,0,4209106.column

[Robz4000]

Same thing happened when the Clippers were in San Diego. Sterling said they were gonna stay in the city long term, and then immediately moved them up to LA the following year.

[baseline bum]

That'll make sense; as soon as Anthony Davis starts getting good, they will become the Anaheim Hornets. Durant in Seattle situation all over again tbh.

[BRHornet45]

Sons one of the minority owners is the New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson's brother.

[ChumpDumper]

the state will even chip in in the form of inducements for the team.They're acting like this is unusual.

[Giuseppe]

Does this mean that BR and his minions can suffer the same slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and the byproduct thereof along with the rest of NBA Forum?

[baseline bum]

Sons one of the minority owners is the New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson's brother.

Not promising, since Benson was ready to pack the Saints up and move them to Texas.

[Hoops Czar]

Kaman will undoubtedly be traded and it most likely won't cost an arm and a leg.

[Giuseppe]

^Bend over. I'll give ya a fuckin' arm and a leg.

[Hoops Czar]

^Bend over. I'll give ya a fuckin' arm and a leg.

Tee hee

[BRHornet45]

Not promising, since Benson was ready to pack the Saints up and move them to Texas.

son of course options were looked at directly after Katrina because no one knew if New Orleans would even survive Katrina, but we all know how well that "plan" worked out. No one in their right mind would put an NFL team in San Antonio to begin with. The Saints couldn't even get decent support for the few games they did play in San Antonio during Katrina. Then they come back to New Orleans and have had arguably the best (without a doubt top 3) fan bases in the NFL.

Sons the Hornets are here to stay no matter how mad it makes some of you. The funniest thing about some of your ignorant hate is that even despite New Orleans being the smallest market in the NBA AND even during a shitty, rebuilding year after losing Chris Paul ... the Hornets are still far from being the worst fan base in the NBA. Last I checked attendance we were still ahead of much larger markets (with better teams this year) like Philly, New Jersey, Indiana, Memphis and right behind Sacramento and Atlanta.

[baseline bum]

Wasn't there a thread here with 75 cent Hornets tickets? Easy to fill an arena when it's cheaper to go to the game than to supersize lunch.

[JayTheClown]

son of course options were looked at directly after Katrina because no one knew if New Orleans would even survive Katrina, but we all know how well that "plan" worked out. No one in their right mind would put an NFL team in San Antonio to begin with. The Saints couldn't even get decent support for the few games they did play in San Antonio during Katrina. Then they come back to New Orleans and have had arguably the best (without a doubt top 3) fan bases in the NFL.

Sons the Hornets are here to stay no matter how made it makes some of you. The funniest thing about some of your ignorant hate is that even despite New Orleans being the smallest market in the NBA AND even during a shitty, rebuilding year after losing Chris Paul ... the Hornets are still far from being the worst fan base in the NBA. Last I checked attendance we were still ahead of much larger markets (with better teams this year) like Philly, New Jersey, Indiana, Memphis and right behind Sacramento and Atlanta.

Lets see Memphis and Sacramento shouldn't have NBA franchises. New Jersey is about to lose their team to Brooklyn. Atlanta has to many black folks within the city limits (blacks traditionally dont go to sporting events as much as their white and hispanic counterparts). I'm sure the economy is hurting Indiana hard some how. Considering they are all a bunch of crop farmers and general store owners.

[JayTheClown]

^That being said
Shit is still good to see the Hornets staying in a recognizable city like New Orleans.

[BRHornet45]

Lets see Memphis and Sacramento shouldn't have NBA franchises. New Jersey is about to lose their team to Brooklyn. Atlanta has to many black folks within the city limits (blacks traditionally dont go to sporting events as much as their white and hispanic counterparts). I'm sure the economy is hurting Indiana hard some how. Considering they are all a bunch of crop farmers and general store owners.

So what? As if New Orleans hasn't had problems? ... New Orleans has had far more problems than any other city in the NBA can imagine, yet the NFL fan base is outstanding and the NBA fan base is decent, but needs to get better and will once a quality product is on the floor.

Oh and LOL at blaming the economy for Indiana's shitty fan base. Indiana always claims to be a "basketball state", yet they are consistently ranked in the bottom in attendance. Their support for the Pacers is pathetic.

[JayTheClown]

So what? As if New Orleans hasn't had problems? ... New Orleans has had far more problems than any other city in the NBA can imagine, yet the NFL fan base is outstanding and the NBA fan base is decent, but needs to get better and will once a quality product is on the floor.

Oh and LOL at blaming the economy for Indiana's shitty fan base. Indiana always claims to be a "basketball state", yet they are consistently ranked in the bottom in attendance. Their support for the Pacers is pathetic.

I was just attempting to explain why those teams' attendance numbers were so low. Not one of the teams you mentioned is comparable to New Orleans situation, your right.

[jag]

Wasn't there a thread here with 75 cent Hornets tickets? Easy to fill an arena when it's cheaper to go to the game than to supersize lunch.

75 Cents (http://saintsreport.com/forums/f20/free-hornets-tickets-wwl-156955/)

It's probably cheaper to buy the tickets and walk to the game than the cost of the electricity to sit an home with a 50" LCD and all your lights on.

[Jt.ONE]

lil'wayne should buy back the hornets for N.O

[BRHornet45]

lil'wayne should buy back the hornets for N.O

son Wayne is a sellout and a bitch. he is not wanted in New Orleans. he is a bigger bandwagon fan than Snoop Dogg when he jumped on the Packers bandwagon over the Saints the year they won the Super Bowl. regardless he doesn't have enough money to buy the Hornets ....

Net Worth - $95 million

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/rappers/lil-wayne-net-worth/

[Pelicans78]

This deal isn't done yet. It has to be approved by the state and that won't happen until March.

[m>s]

then how'bout his other promise of bringing an NBA franchise back to seattle?

[William Hung]

Who dat gon buy dem hornets?!

[BRHornet45]

then how'bout his other promise of bringing an NBA franchise back to seattle?

son if Seattle ever even wants a slim chance in hell of getting another NBA team then they need to build a real arena. Key Arena is one of the nastiest and run down arenas in the entire country. you could pick any random small city somewhere in Wyoming or North Dakota and find arenas that they use for rodeos that are in better condition than Key Arena in Seattle.

[Latarian Milton]

fucking agree tbh. shit is dark as fuck inside like its bulbs were made back in edison's age imho, never been there myself but the first impression tells me even some NCAA gyms are in better condition then key arena tbh, really a shame for the biggest city in the NW to not have a gym that is NBA caliber