Las Vegas appears behind in trying to lure Rockets

Erin Neff

Friday, April 28, 2000 | 10:26 a.m.

Las Vegas appears to be neck-and-neck with Louisville, Ky., in efforts to woo the unhappy Houston Rockets franchise from Texas.

But the home of the famed Run for the Roses already seems to have the connections, if not the pedigree, to edge Las Vegas at the wire if the Rockets move.

The jockeying for big-time sports is under way in earnest in the Bluegrass State, with a Rockets delegation expected to visit there after the May 6 running of the Kentucky Derby.

Admittedly frustrated by the lack of support from the gaming industry to his plans for a sports arena, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is now increasing the odds against the city.

"Without gaming behind it, they're not going to be able to have a successful venture," Goodman said. "These teams always rely on the local industry to support them. They're the ones who buy the big boxes, spend the million dollars a year to court their customers and to make the boxes available for their employees.

"If gaming won't get behind it, it's unrealistic to think that I'll be able to accomplish it," he added. "No team is going to come here unless they have the community support."

Goodman remains the most ardent proponent of building a privately funded sports arena downtown. He has spoken with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander on numerous occasions and has bounced his ideas off Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings executives, to name a few.

Since casino entrepreneur Steve Wynn unveiled a poll last summer showing support for a professional sports team, however, gaming has been largely absent from talks.

Goodman and Clark County Commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury co-chaired an ad hoc committee studying the feasibility of such an arena to house professional basketball, pro hockey or both.

Last fall, Goodman led a delegation to New York City to meet National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern and inquire whether the NBA would allow a team to relocate to Vegas.

Stern made it clear that his league would not allow relocation of a franchise to a state with legalized sports betting, or casino games of any kind, even though other franchises play in states or Canadian provinces that have gaming.

But the problem Goodman sees isn't about legalized sports betting. He said casinos raise more objections to the competition any new arena will bring to existing arenas in town.

The MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Mandalay Bay Events Center and the Thomas & Mack Center would all have to vie with a new arena for programming on dates when the pro sports team or teams is not at home.