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YET MORE ROCKETS LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME; HEY, TORONTO'S FULL

          The Rockets filed a legal challenge yesterday to their
     operating lease at The Summit, claiming they want to be
     released from their contract to pursue a deal on a new
     downtown arena, according to George Flynn of the HOUSTON
     CHRONICLE.  The lawsuit comes after seven months of
     "unsuccessful" negotiations by Rockets Owner Les Alexander's
     partnership, Rocket Ball Inc., to buy out its lease with The
     Summit's landlord, Arena Operating Co (AOC).  Houston Mayor
     Bob Lanier a "framework" for a deal on a new arena is being
     discussed, but he does not want the team freed from their
     Summit lease until there is a binding agreement committing
     the Rockets to a new arena.  Lanier: "We don't want the
     lease to be terminated first and then try to reach an
     agreement -- the taxpayers have already bought that (Summit)
     lease through the year 2000.  I don't want to have a period
     where we don't have the Rockets bound to The Summit and we
     don't have a deal downtown" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/17).
          WHAT'S AT STAKE: In the suit, Rockets attorney Michael
     Goldberg asks for a court determination of the amount of
     monetary damages facing the team if they broke the lease
     with a move before 2003.  The suit also seeks a ruling on
     the legality of a contract provision that permits AOC to
     enjoin the team from any alleged breach of the agreement. 
     Contract terms allow AOC "to block a move without having to
     meet the legal burden of showing irreparable harm" (HOUSTON
     CHRONICLE, 12/17).  In Houston, columnist Dale Robertson:
     "The plot thickens.  And, frankly, sickens.  The
     consequences of Leslie Alexander's latest salvo in his
     dollar-driven war with Chuck Watson over the Rockets' Summit
     lease could be grave" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/17).     

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