Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

Investment Group Makes Case For NBA Expansion In Montreal

NBA Canada officials spent three days promoting basketball in Montreal ahead of Nets-RaptorsNBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Last night's Nets-Raptors game at Bell Centre in Montreal was "played against the backdrop" of a news conference "touting the possibility" of an NBA expansion franchise there, according to Pat Hickey of the MONTREAL GAZETTE. Former politician Michel Fortier and former Canadiens COO Kevin Gilmore "made their case in a presentation to the Montreal Board of Trade." There are a "few obstacles in the way, starting with Fortier’s admission that the NBA has no immediate plans for expansion." Their "lone commitment to date" comes from security firm GardaWorld CEO Stéphan Crétier, who is in for 10% of the team. The press conference was a "surprise to NBA Canada officials who had spent three days promoting basketball in the city." The word is they were "not pleased someone tried to hijack their party" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 10/11). In Montreal, Ryan Wolstat notes the NBA "isn’t currently looking to add any expansion franchises," but the Montreal group intends to be "ready should the day come when new teams are on the table." Members of the group said that the NBA has been "made aware of the interest, which originated" in '14, but has been "ramped up" with the addition of Crétier as a main investor. They have also informed NBA Commissioner Adam Silver that "while they recognize 'Montreal isn’t on anybody’s short list,' they don’t mind being Plan B for now" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 10/11).

MISSING PIECE: SPORTSNET.ca's Michael Grange wrote Montreal as a willing market for an expansion team has "one thing right: The NBA should seriously look at expansion." Yesterday’s presentation was "effective in communicating why an NBA franchise could conceivably succeed in Montreal." However, "nothing would happen" unless the Molson family, which owns the Canadiens and Bell Centre, "are primary investors." That they "weren't part" of the announcement "was telling." The "real question" that stakeholders in Montreal would have to answer is "what having a team in Montreal would do for the other 30 (or 31 or more) teams in the league" (SPORTSNET.ca, 10/10).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/10/11/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/Montreal-NBA.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/10/11/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/Montreal-NBA.aspx

CLOSE