CBA President & CMO Don Welsh "confirmed" yesterday that
the league "expect[s] to reach an agreement" with N.Y.-based
United Sports Ventures (USV) "by early next week" to place an
expansion franchise in Upper Marlboro, MD, for the 2000-01
season, according to Jeff Seidel of the WASHINGTON POST, who
reports that the team would play at Show Place Arena. A
franchise in Gary, IN, is also "scheduled to join" the CBA
this season. USV VP/Basketball Division Jim Jennings, on
placing a team in MD: "I've been pushing for that market for
the last six months or so. I think we're going to be able to
sell a lot of tickets." Seidel, noting the CBA owns all nine
of its existing teams, writes that the two expansion
franchises "will retain minority interests." Jennings said
that USV will have 49% ownership of the MD team. In other
news, Welsh confirmed reports that CBA Owner Isiah Thomas,
who purchased the league for $10M last fall, has an agreement
to sell the league to the NBPA. Welsh: "I (think) a purchase
now would assume significantly higher value than [$10M]
because new teams have been added, plus national
sponsorships. Plus the overall ... worth of the league has
increased because of his involvement" (WASH. POST, 6/30).
CONNECT THE DOTS? In Indianapolis, Mark Montieth writes
that Pacers President Donnie Walsh said that Thomas' "fate"
to become the Pacers next coach "is not necessarily connected
to the sale" of the CBA. Walsh: "If you think I'm waiting
because of that, I'm not" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/30). ESPN's
David Aldridge, on the possible sale of the CBA: "I don't
think it's going to take very long ..., and if it does get
completed pretty soon, I think the Pacers then will really
look at Isiah Thomas strongly as their next head coach,
sometime in the next few days" (ESPN, 6/29).
