NBA game in Las Vegas on hold

Steve Carp

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1998 | 10:37 a.m.

The only basketball that will be played this weekend in Las Vegas is Friday's UNLV-Southern Cal game, as plans for an exhibition game Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center featuring some of the NBA's top stars have been scrapped.

However, if the owner-imposed lockout of the players continues, the game may be resurrected in cooperation with sports agent David Falk, who represents Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning, among others.

The lockout is in its 141st day. The sides met for two hours Tuesday, their first meeting since Nov. 6.

Resort Entertainment, a promotional group out of Los Angeles, had been negotiating with the Thomas & Mack to stage an all-star game Saturday. However, when the group could not guarantee who would play and the days to promote the event kept dwindling, a decision was made Tuesday to go in a different direction.

"If Resort Entertainment isn't on board with David Falk and his athletes, the Thomas & Mack Center is not in a position to host an event Nov. 21," T&M assistant director Daren Libonati said.

When asked where things stood, a Resort Entertainment official said, "Right now, there's nothing to comment on."

Libonati said he has been in discussions with Falk for several weeks and that if a suitable date can be found, such a game would be held in Las Vegas.

"Our position is when David Falk is ready and we have a date available, we'll have a game," Libonati said. "David's goal is to stage this event the same way we would stage a major fight.

"David said if we're going to do an event in Las Vegas, we're going to do it in a first-class manner. He doesn't believe he can do the kind of first-class event that Las Vegas deserves in five days."

Falk said he has nothing to do with Resort Entertainment and has been working on his own plan for weeks with the Thomas & Mack.

"We're not in business in any way shape or form (with Resort Entertainment)," Falk said from his Washington, D.C. office Tuesday. "We never considered Nov. 21 because television wasn't available.

"We've held conversations with some very reputable people in Las Vegas and our goal is to use the star players to provide the best economic situation, to help those players who may be in need of financial assistance."

Dan Wasserman, director of communications for the players association, said they, too, have no connection with the L.A. group.

"Nobody's been authorized to act on our behalf," Wasserman said from New York. "The players association had nothing to do with the group out of L.A. We are supportive of David's and Arn's (Tellem) efforts and when there is something set, there'll be an announcement."

When asked how soon such an announcement would be forthcoming, Falk said, "When all the logistics coincide.

"It would be irresponsible to give out a certain date. Right now we're talking to a lot of people about several possible dates. Once we have everything in place, we'll make an announcement with the details."