Belkin Believes Charlotte Still On Track To Get NBA Team

Boston business exec Steve Belkin, who is part of a prospective ownership group including Larry Bird and WNBA Sting President M.L. Carr, said that he "is still optimistic the [NBA] will return" to Charlotte, according to Rick Bonnell of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Belkin: "I haven't heard anything negative that would keep a deal from being concluded." Bonnell notes that city of Charlotte officials have "conducted arena negotiations with the NBA at undisclosed locations in the past month." Belkin added that it is "probably too late to put a team in Charlotte" for the '03-04 season, but he "thinks the general outline of a Charlotte arena deal could be presented at an NBA owners meeting next month." Belkin: "Both sides have consultants who are moving the ball forward on a lot of issues. They clearly have defined the difficulties and have a feel for how to overcome those difficulties. I feel a strong commitment to making a deal" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/13).