NEW YORK -- Vancouver Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley,
seeking a new home for his financially troubled team, met with NBA
commissioner David Stern on Thursday.
Grizzlies business operations director Andy Dolich and Heisley's
attorney, Stan Meadows, also attended the meeting.
"Russ Granik, Joel Litvin and I had an informative and
productive meeting today with Mr. Dolich and Mr. Meadows," Stern
said in a statement. "They presented us with a progress report and
will notify us of their plans on Monday."
The deadline for a relocation application to be filed with the
league office is Monday.
The application will be investigated by a Relocation Committee
of the Board of Governors, which must make a recommendation to the
full Board within 120 days of receipt of the application.
"I don't know what is happening, to be honest," coach Sidney
Lowe said before the Grizzlies' game in Cleveland. "Nobody has
said anything to me. The only things I know are what people say are
in the newspapers and I don't read those stories.
"I don't because then I can honestly say to players that I did
not read the story. I tell them just to concentrate on basketball.
But it is tough. It involves their families, where they live, where
their kids go to school. It is definitely on the players' minds."
The cities in the running for the franchise are Anaheim,
Louisville, Memphis and New Orleans.
The Grizzlies would be the first NBA franchise to relocate since
the Kings moved from Kansas City to Sacramento before the 1985-86
season.
Vancouver entered the league in 1995. The Grizzlies have had
little success financially or on the court.
The team, which never has won more than 22 games, already has
had three owners. Heisley built the team a new practice facility
after purchasing it in a deal that costs the team $5 million in
rent at GM Place and provides no revenue from concessions, arena
advertising or parking.
Heisley has been courted heavily by all four of the leading
prospective cities. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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