In New Orleans, John Reid noted Hornets officials on Friday “declined comment” on a report that the team has “raised the possibility of dumping ‘Hornets’ as the team’s nickname and suggested that would likely happen once the franchise has a new owner.” Team officials said that the NBA “could only comment because they own all team logos.” NBA VP/Basketball Communications Tim Frank: “There has been no discussion about changing the Hornets’ name” (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 3/31). SI.com’s Ian Thomsen reported the "Hornets" nickname, which “followed the team to New Orleans during its 2002 relocation from Charlotte, will probably be replaced by an identity more fitting to the city to which the team is now married, for better and for worse.” Thomsen also added “in years to come, there promises to be a new cable-TV partnership, the NBA All-Star Game will return to the city, the New Orleans Arena will undergo $50 million in improvements, and the franchise, in all likelihood, will be rebranded” (SI.com, 3/30).
TIMING IS EVERYTHING: In N.Y., Frank Isola notes Knicks officials were “eventually going to get around to revealing” that Knicks G Jeremy Lin had a possible season-ending injury, but “certainly not before last Wednesday.” The date was “represented the deadline for season- ticket holders to purchase all four rounds of the playoffs.” The team sent an e-mail to subscribers with “a picture of Lin leaping in celebration.” The e-mail was “two days before the deadline when Lin and the Knicks’ medical staff learned that the second-year point guard/cash cow was suffering from a torn meniscus in his left knee.” Although Lin “waited until Saturday before formally making the decision to have surgery, it certainly made business sense for the organization to withhold medical information about its marquee attraction” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/2).
MARKET SENSE: In Memphis, Michael Sheffield notes the Grizzlies rank "23rd in the NBA for total attendance (356,280) this season and 21st in the NBA for average attendance (15,490 per game), with only three sellouts." But even with the “abbreviated season, the team’s attendance has increased about” 10% over last year. Grizzlies President of Business Operations Greg Campbell said that while the team “has to continue to increase ticket sales, the NBA also recognizes that it can’t compete with larger cities" like L.A., N.Y. and Dallas. Grizzlies Owner Michael Heisley said that ticket sales “have improved this year and more fans are coming to games,” but the team has “shown it can do better, specifically during” the ’05 season (MEMPHIS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/30 issue).
