Stern: Seattle ‘not interested’
David Stern gave another warning that the SuperSonics could eventually leave Seattle, saying Thursday that the city is, “not interested in having the NBA there.”
The NBA commissioner also touched on the situations regarding the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Hornets during a conference call from New York, but his strongest words were saved for the Sonics’ future in Seattle.
Stern has said the Sonics’ lease with the city is the worst in the NBA, and he went to Seattle in February to ask Washington state lawmakers for tax money to renovate Key Arena.
Sonics owner Howard Schultz, the chairman of Starbucks Corp., has threatened to move or sell the team if state lawmakers don’t approve a sales-tax package to pay for a new or renovated arena. But state lawmakers last month said there would be no deal this year.
“I would say that the city is making it pretty clear of what they want us to do, and we’ll accommodate them,” Stern said.
Asked what that meant, Stern responded: “What I mean is they’re not interested in having the NBA there. We understand that, we understand that there are competing issues, and the mayor is free to make whatever decisions he needs to make and I support that.
“But that’s a pretty strong signal and I think that the existing ownership has said they don’t want to own a team that’s not in Seattle, so I know what they’re in the process of doing. So we’ll just see how this play ends.”
•SuperSonics forward Chris Wilcox, who has a sprained right foot, is doubtful for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, his former team.
On the courts
Cavaliers 91, Knicks 87: At Cleveland, Larry Hughes had 26 points and 13 rebounds and Donyell Marshall and Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 17 points apiece in a win over New York.
New York coach Larry Brown will be hospitalized overnight after becoming ill and leaving the floor in the third quarter. A team spokesman said Brown had an upset stomach. He would not say to which hospital Brown was taken.
For the first time this season, the Cavaliers played without injured forward LeBron James, who sat with a sprained ankle.
Magic 92, Spurs 80: At San Antonio, Dwight Howard scored 22 points and Jameer Nelson added 19 as Orlando won its seventh straight game.
Suns 117, Mavericks 104: At Phoenix, Shawn Marion scored 29 points and the Suns used a barrage of 3-pointers to beat Dallas.