Ellison May Buy New Orl. Hornets/Move Them To San Jose

Oracle CEO and billionaire Larry Ellison was rebuffed in his bid to buy the Golden State Warriors when the NBA franchise was sold to a group led by Peter Guber and Joseph Lacob in July for $450 million.

But a source tells me that one reason why Golden State sold for a record NBA price is that the new owners of the Warriors could get from $100 million to $150 million from an owner who wants to bring a second NBA team to the San Francisco area.

That is where the New Orleans Hornets, who were bought by the league for $310 million last month, come in. The Hornets lease at New Orleans Arena expires in 2014 and the franchise, suffering big losses and low attendance, needs to move to a market with better demographics and more corporate sponsors.

It makes perfect sense that Ellison, who is worth $27 billion and badly wants an NBA franchise, would buy the Hornets and move the team to San Jose. For starters, he could immediately share a building with the NHL’s Sharks. Also, San Jose is the third-largest city in California and the tenth-largest city in the U.S., so sponsorship revenue would no longer be a problem. And the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose television market is the sixth-largest, which would provide a substantial increase in media revenue and make it possible to launch a regional sports network with other sports teams in the area.

My source says Ellison would be more than happy to pony up $450 million for the Hornets (including a relocation fee for the Warriors) given the improved economics for NBA teams that will be the result of the new collective bargaining agreement.

Forbes Blog

If San Jose gets a team before Seattle gets one back, that's bulls**t.

Originally posted by StOnEy333:
If San Jose gets a team before Seattle gets one back, that's bulls**t.

Its Larrys way of giving a big middle finger to the Golden State Warriors

I'm down. My attachment to the Warriors isn't too great, and I've been brought up by a Laker loving dad. Unless the Warriors move to San Francisco, I'd jump ship to a San Jose team.

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
I'm down. My attachment to the Warriors isn't too great, and I've been brought up by a Laker loving dad. Unless the Warriors move to San Francisco, I'd jump ship to a San Jose team.

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
I'm down. My attachment to the Warriors isn't too great, and I've been brought up by a Laker loving dad. Unless the Warriors move to San Francisco, I'd jump ship to a San Jose team.

Problem?

Originally posted by blunt_probe:

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
I'm down. My attachment to the Warriors isn't too great, and I've been brought up by a Laker loving dad. Unless the Warriors move to San Francisco, I'd jump ship to a San Jose team.

Problem?

I think a lot of Bay Area fans would agree with you blunt. Especially a younger generation that grew up with a losing franchise in their mind.

Originally posted by blunt_probe:

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
I'm down. My attachment to the Warriors isn't too great, and I've been brought up by a Laker loving dad. Unless the Warriors move to San Francisco, I'd jump ship to a San Jose team.

Problem?

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
I'm down. My attachment to the Warriors isn't too great, and I've been brought up by a Laker loving dad. Unless the Warriors move to San Francisco, I'd jump ship to a San Jose team.

My story is relatively similar to yours. I became a big basketball fan around ten years of age because my best friend was a huge Lakers fan, so I became one. I've always sort of liked the Warriors since I'm from the Bay Area, but never followed them as much as I did with the Lakers. I honestly don't remember what had me switch boats but it was around the time where the Lakers lost in the finals to the Pistons. I think the Baron Davis trade had a lot to do with it too.

Anyways, I don't think I'd ever completely switch teams. I would root for both if it happened. If the Kings moved here, I would just stay a Warriors fan...

[ Edited by YungAce on Jan 5, 2011 at 19:02:48 ]

Originally posted by StOnEy333:
If San Jose gets a team before Seattle gets one back, that's bulls**t.

well, if you have 450 million to spare...

Originally posted by global_nomad:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
I'm down. My attachment to the Warriors isn't too great, and I've been brought up by a Laker loving dad. Unless the Warriors move to San Francisco, I'd jump ship to a San Jose team.

Problem?

I think a lot of Bay Area fans would agree with you blunt. Especially a younger generation that grew up with a losing franchise in their mind.

For me, I didn't even know the Warriors existed until I discovered them while playing NBA Jam sometime around 1996. Unlike my other teams, I've never had a compelling attachment to like the Warriors other than them being the local team. Outside of 2006 and '07, all they've done is lose, and I don't care for Oakland in general. With that said, I'd feel weird being a Lakers fan, but I do like to see them succeed since my dad likes them a lot. If a team came to San Jose, I'd feel like it'd be a fresh a start, and an opportunity for me to become a diehard fan of a NBA team. All the friends I've had, few have been Warriors fans, so I'd think it'd be a great chance for them too.

Originally posted by blunt_probe:

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
I'm down. My attachment to the Warriors isn't too great, and I've been brought up by a Laker loving dad. Unless the Warriors move to San Francisco, I'd jump ship to a San Jose team.

Problem?

Your ease and process of selecting your team is funny. Like a Clown. Like "ha ha" funny.

Originally posted by global_nomad:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
I'm down. My attachment to the Warriors isn't too great, and I've been brought up by a Laker loving dad. Unless the Warriors move to San Francisco, I'd jump ship to a San Jose team.

Problem?

I think a lot of Bay Area fans would agree with you blunt. Especially a younger generation that grew up with a losing franchise in their mind.

Never...I grew up a GSW fan, its in my dna. Like the 9ers

Originally posted by nicedraw94080:

Originally posted by global_nomad:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
I'm down. My attachment to the Warriors isn't too great, and I've been brought up by a Laker loving dad. Unless the Warriors move to San Francisco, I'd jump ship to a San Jose team.

Problem?

I think a lot of Bay Area fans would agree with you blunt. Especially a younger generation that grew up with a losing franchise in their mind.

Never...I grew up a GSW fan, its in my dna. Like the 9ers

This right here.

I didn't know who the warriors were until I was 14. the nba sucks