Originally Posted by defuz
I don't see Stern, despite what anyone has said, being in favor of moving the Hornets out of NO if Shinn does sell them. Allowing this to happen, assuming someone comes along and spends the wads of cash necessary to do so, would mean that the NBA is seen as signing off on a deal where the city/state get screwed in their lease agreement.
Okay, okay, to those of you that say they don't get screwed because the new owners paid the penalty to get out of the lease, I understand. My bottom line is that I believe that the city/state do get screwed because their team is taken away, the obviously primary tennant of the arena, and the area looses a major part of the economy, as well as the bragging rights and pride/prestige of having a team.
If Stern would allow that to happen, he would weaken the standing of the NBA, and all the other teams therein for future negotiations for all of the other arenas. This would make his life that much more difficult, and in the long term would cut into both the league and all the teams bottom line with bigger escape clauses, less wiggle room etc.