Ron Kantowski on how now-bosom buddies Goodman, Stern are making strides on NBA

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007 | 7:16 a.m.

The first thing NBA Commissioner David Stern did upon arriving in Las Vegas for NBA All-Star weekend Wednesday morning was pay a visit to his newest, bestest pal, Mayor Oscar Goodman.

The second thing he did was turn down a martini.

"I like to get anybody I speak to liquored up," Hizzoner said.

As it turned out, there was no need to break out the Bombay Sapphire. When the two men emerged from the hourlong meeting, Stern had had an epiphany. Without hiccupping.

Stern had sworn like Rasheed Wallace that the NBA would never put a franchise in Las Vegas as long as Las Vegas condoned NBA betting. But during their meeting, he told the mayor how happy The Association, or whatever ESPN's Stuart Scott is calling it this week, was to be here for the All-Star Game. Come up with a compromise on betting and bring it to New York on April 23, he said, and he'll present it to his owners.

The ball, he said, is in Goodman's court.

The mayor has no intention of dribbling it off his foot.

When asked what Stern's change of heart meant to the likelihood of Las Vegas landing an NBA franchise, Goodman was more emphatic than Yao Ming on a put back.

"Slam dunk," he said.

True, it's only the first step in the long process of an NBA team relocating to Southern Nevada. But it's a big one. Think Bob Lanier (size 22 shoe), not Spud Webb (size 9).

"The good commissioner has been consistent that he would not allow a team to come here because of sports betting," said Goodman, sporting a grin as wide as Charles Barkley's backside. "Now he's backed off that, thank goodness."

Last week, the mayor said he had hoped to make a major announcement about Las Vegas' NBA future during All-Star week, and Wednesday's development went exactly as he outlined it.

So what was it that caused Stern to back off, at least in a pass-the-buck sort of way, on the betting issue?

"Because I aggravated him for seven years, and you wear him down," Goodman said, adding that he was mostly being serious. "This is the first time he has said that he's not going to make the decision. He's going to let the owners make the decision."

Goodman said he believes the owners, even Mark Cuban, are reasonable men. But just to well, hedge his bet, he's going to spend this weekend wearing them down, too. Only he's going to do it Las Vegas-style.

"I'm not going to sleep," he said. "I'm going to be drinking with them, carousing with them, having a good time with them."

Why should this weekend be any different?

Neither Goodman nor Stern would talk about what the betting compromise might entail. Goodman said he will begin meeting with gaming industry officials just as soon as the All-Stars leave town. Most believe his opening gambit will be dusting off the so-called UNLV rule - asking the sports books to take games involving the hometown team (when we get one) off the board.

When I asked Stern about the UNLV rule, he played defense like Bill Russell. "I'm not talking anymore," he said. "I'm looking forward to hearing from the mayor. The mayor knows my views. Let's see what the mayor has to say."

This is what the mayor had to say Wednesday: "At this point there could be a little bit of compromise. I certainly would not compromise myself by asking the casinos to do anything which was radical as far as taking all the games off the board."

Wednesday's announcement was the major hurdle. The city should be able to blow by the compromise, whatever it is, like Edwin Moses.

Then it's "just" a matter of waiting on an existing NBA team to get out if its lease and breaking ground on a $400 million arena.

Goodman said he has heard from five different groups who are interested in building here but said he won't proceed with those talks until the NBA owners weigh in on Las Vegas.

"I've been told by some experts that it takes three years from the time you start (break ground)," he said. "We'll do it in two."

And should an NBA team looking for a new home fall out of the sky between now and next season, the mayor said the city could be ready at short notice.

"Some of the fellows from the NBA said the Thomas & Mack is getting spruced up for this event, so that's good news," he said, alluding to a possible interim home for a displaced NBA team.

The mayor has been telling anybody who would listen that it was a matter of "when" and not "if" Las Vegas would have major league sports. And for once, the guy on the other bench was talking that way, too.

"Everybody talks about the NBA testing Las Vegas, and we're not, because we know what's in Las Vegas," Stern said. "But I think to some degree, Las Vegas is testing the NBA, to see how exciting it is. And to contemplate some scenario down the road where it's Dateline, Las Vegas."

You can bet the mayor will drink to that.