Franchise shifts 'a failure'

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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11251158p-12166509c.html

Franchise shifts 'a failure'

NBA Commissioner David Stern hopes Kings and Magic will continue to operate in their current cities.

By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Friday, October 29, 2004


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As the preseason winds down, NBA Commissioner David Stern said Thursday he is concerned about a possible work stoppage next season, as well as arena issues surrounding Orlando and Sacramento.



Stern, in a national media conference call, said he would consider the relocation of the Kings or the Magic because of arena issues to be "league failures."

Stern has long said he admires the fan loyalty and support in Sacramento, but Arco Arena, which opened in 1988, needs to be replaced.


Though the Kings haven't gone public with any desire to relocate, members of the Sacramento City Council have indicated Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof would seriously consider a move should a new arena not be constructed.

"It isn't our first choice to have teams move," Stern said. "We consider the movement of teams to be league failures. When we moved out of Vancouver and out of Charlotte (in recent seasons), those were failures.

"That said, there are realities of modern-day arena life, and that often propels cities and sports teams to get into extended and difficult discussions (with local government). So, I'm hopeful that in (the case of Sacramento and Orlando), the markets that have been very good to the NBA will continue to be their home base."

Stern spent a lot of time discussing the NBA's collective-bargaining agreement that will expire June 30. He made it clear both sides of the negotiating table - the owners and the player's union - want to avoid a lockout similar to that of the 1998-99 season - the first in NBA history - when the season was reduced to 50 games.

Among the issues: Players want to hold onto long-term contracts yet have the ability for greater freedom of movement. Owners want to trim the maximum length of contracts from seven years to four.

"Owners, on balance, want to come up with a system that's a bit more profitable than the existing system and doesn't reward players who are no longer in the league - or who shouldn't be in the league at higher prices," Stern said. "Players getting contracts and (no longer) playing in the league is taking money from players who are in the league and are playing heavily. That's what gets us into discussions of shorter contracts.

"There are lots of proposals and ideas going around. We remain committed to a process that guarantees the players a specific percentage of revenues. We're talking more about certain approaches as to redistributing money than we are about major efforts to clamp that money down."

Stern also wants to incorporate a 20-year-old age limit for players entering the NBA, given the growing number of preps-to-pros moves in recent years with mixed results. The players union does not want to change the current age limit of 18.

Stern said both sides can learn from the current NHL lockout, with lost revenue, frozen salaries and fans left out in the cold.

"I use the NHL against our owners and our players as a living example of what can happen if you don't reach an agreement," he said. "Both sides know the risks, and that's what compels us to continue talking."

Stern said the China Games earlier this month that featured the Kings playing the Houston Rockets in two preseason games was a success, saying the games "were extraordinarily received and the reports were that 400 million people may have watched the second game, and that augurs well for our international efforts."

Stern said that with the influx of European players in the NBA, it may not be too long before coaching vacancies are filled by European coaches.

"I think that our teams have been interviewing European coaches," he said. "It's important for our teams to get to know the quality of those coaches, which is very high, to get to know their basketball knowledge. Frankly, as we see more good teams in the Olympics and who are so very well-coached, I think the day is getting closer."

He said he anticipates the NBA popularity boom to continue worldwide, including China.

"Our statistics show that basketball is the most popular team sport in China," Stern said. "It has to surprise you when you see the sheer numbers of people in China - there are more registered basketball players in China than there are people living in the United States. It doesn't have to be the most popular sport in the world. "All we have to do is have a relatively small percentage of kids who decide to bounce the ball rather than kick it, and the growth of the sport on a global basis is assured."