Mayor still hopes Las Vegas has a Grizzly sports future

Diana Sahagun

Friday, Feb. 23, 2001 | 11:21 a.m.

The Vancouver Grizzlies National Basketball Association team is considering other cities for its franchise and Las Vegas remains one of them.

If the team, which reported a loss of $40 million this year, does not announce a new city by March 1, it will have to play next season in Vancouver, according to NBA rules.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Thursday that he met last week with Grizzlies representative Calvin Johnson. The meeting was just days after Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley was given permission to move to another city by as early as next season.

Goodman, who has made bringing an NBA team to Las Vegas a cornerstone of his redevelopment plans, described his meeting with Johnson as "noncommittal."

Goodman said he asked if Heisley is looking to sell the team or relocate, and whether he would be willing to build the city an arena -- a key sticking point.

Goodman said he has received no definitive answers to his questions. Heisley, though, has been quoted in press reports as saying he wants to relocate the franchise.

A local committee is studying the idea of building an arena and/or performing arts center downtown. Goodman said Thursday that "an arena would have to come first."

Other cities that may be in the running for the Grizzlies are New Orleans; Louisville, Ky.; Anaheim, Calif.; San Jose, Calif.; and Hartford, Conn. The Long Island area of New York has also been mentioned.

At least two class-action lawsuits were filed this week in the British Columbia Supreme Court against Heisley, alleging he went against his word by trying to move the team out of Canada.

Competition is heightened by the fact that no NBA team has relocated since the Kings moved from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985.

The fact that Las Vegas casinos allow betting on NBA games may cloud the chances of the Grizzlies relocating here.

Nevada is the only state in the nation with legal sports betting. State law does not allow betting on games involving Nevada teams.

NBA Commissioner David Stern has refused to budge on its strict anti-betting philosophy.

"It's going to be a wing and a prayer on this one," Goodman said.