In 2002, the Charlotte Hornets franchise moved from their home base in North Carolina, where they had been popular for years, to New Orleans as part of owner George Shinn’s plan to turn his small-market hoops franchise into a more profitable venture.  That move has been wildly unsuccessful.  Not only have the New Orleans Hornets been bleeding money, they’ve actually become so unprofitable that no one wants them.  After a deal to sell the Hornets to minority owner Gary Chouest fell through, New Orleans Hornets owner George Shinn has sold the basketball franchise to the NBA directly.

“It’s a fair question and our door is open and our telephone lines are available [to teams struggling financially].  We have a team here who’s ownership was not in the same position as other teams to fund losses, and we decided, rather than saddle the team with more losses, it would be more prudent to step in,” Stern said of the league’s purchase of the struggling franchise.  Stern added that the NBA wouldn’t be joining the sports ownership business.

There’s a solution here.  If the money works out, the NBA needs to sell the Hornets to a Seattle-based ownership group.  Seattle was one of the biggest, proudest markets for pro basketball in the league until the Sonics were moved to a better arena in Oklahoma City and became the Thunder.  Drop the Hornets nickname, pick up the Sonics mantle, and move the New Orleans franchise north.  Everybody wins.

Tags: NBA, professional basketball, New Orleans Hornets, George Shinn, NBA buys New Orleans Hornets, NBA buys struggling franchise, David Stern, NBA buys New Orleans basketball team, New Orleans Hornets may move to Seattle, sports franchise bought by the league, unusual sports news, Gary Chouest

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