A Good Day for Basketball

[BlackHawkDown]

I was delighted to read this:

BET Founder Bob Johnson to be NBA's First Black Majority Owner

By Stephanie A. Crockett, BET.com Staff Writer

Updated Dec. 19, 2002 -- BET founder Robert L. Johnson has been chosen to be the majority owner in the NBA's new Charlotte, N.C., expansion team, making the billionaire the first Black majority owner of a major professional sports team.

"Charlotte is a dynamic city that will provide tremendous fan support for the new NBA franchise as well as the WNBA team, the Charlotte Sting," Johnson said through a statement. "I am very excited to have the opportunity, along with the City of Charlotte and the basketball fans of North Carolina, to be a major contributor to the new team's success, both on the court and in the Charlotte community."

The National Basketball Association said it had unanimously recommended that the NBA Board of Governors approve the deal, rejecting a proposal by a group led by retired Boston Celtics star Larry Bird. Pending final approval by the NBA Board of Governors, the deal also converys to Johnson ownership of the WNBA's Charlotte Sting, beginning with the 20003 WNBA season.

Johnson, 56, proposed his plan to the league's expansion committee this week. The team will replace the Hornets, which moved to New Orleans earlier this year, and will begin playing in the 2004-2005 season.

"The expansion committee had the good fortune to review two outstanding proposals for ownership," NBA Board of Governors Chairman Jerry Colangela said. "We are confident that Mr. Johnson's backgound, resources and track record of success in the entertainment industry will make him an outstanding NBA owner."

The next step is for the 29-member NBA Board of Governors to cote on the Expansion Committee's recommendation, sometime in January 2003.

Recently, Johnson has put his hand in a deal to bring major league baseball to D.C., and he still plans to continue that project.

[BlackHawkDown]

A few weeks ago you suggested that white fans are perhaps not as supportive of the team because of the lack of white players. Although I disagree with that, i.e. LA Lakers, There is a very different reaction to Black ownership, BET.com and blackplanets.com amoung a litanny of other site and message board are ablaze with people talking about supporting the team. African American consumers are underestimated, esp. considering most teams operate in predominately black cities or areas. I can gaurantee Johnson not only has the support of old time hornets fans, white suburban 2 kids and a dog soccermoms that the league is obsessed with. But also the black urban 2 kids and a dog soccermoms. If white fans are uninterest because the league is " too black" then market to blacks.

[Guest]

[censored] it's nice but sadly doesn't help us cause we

are stuck with Kasten and Babcock and all the

other good ole boys.

[cyman3]

im cool with having another NBA team- the new, Charlotte Hornets.... whether the owner was white/black/hispanic/asian/native american/etc...

if i had my wish, we'd have 40 NBA teams... hehehe