Seems like every year or so, there's talk about the NBA coming back...
http://www.team1040.ca/news/story/?id=2031
Quote:
May. 13, 2009
Rumors are running rampant in Indiana that Francesco Aquilini, owner of the Vancouver Canucks, is reportedly expressing interest in purchasing the Indiana Pacers and moving the team to Vancouver, B.C.
Pacers co-owner Herb Simon are working as hard as they can to work out a new arena deal with the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board and says he doesn’t want to see Indy without an NBA team. Simon could be using Aquilini as leverage against the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board.
But former Sonics owner Howard Schultz also used Clay Bennett as leverage against the Washington State Legislature. And now the Sonics no longer exist.
Vancouver may be a good spot for an NBA team to land. The city has been without a team since the Grizzlies left for Memphis after the 2000-01 season, but GM Place capable of housing an NBA franchise with very little extra work.
|
I'm against it. Not that I'm against the NBA returning, but with the Whitecaps moving into MLS in two years the Vancouver market isn't big enough for CFL, NHL, MLS, and now the NBA.
I'd say lets consider it again in maybe 10-15-years, but the Vancouver market is currently too small for four major franchises. The NBA, especially, requires much more money to run than a NHL franchise. I don't want the NBA to return to this city, only to have it fail again...only when the time is right.