Hornets Updates, 2/15

Eric Gordon has surgery...Hornets decline to comment on extent of surgery...Louisiana state officials question arena naming rights proposal...Monty Williams says Eric Gordon is happy...Multiple ownership groups on the fringes

Eric Gordon has surgery

From the Hornets:

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that Eric Gordon underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to clean up his right knee this morning. As anticipated, he will be out approximately six weeks.

Gordon sustained the injury to his knee in the first quarter of the team’s opening game in Phoenix on 12/26/11. In two games this season, Gordon averaged a team-best 21.0 points per game, including hitting the game-winning 20-foot jumper with 4.2 seconds remaining against the Suns on 12/26.

Hornets Decline to Comment on Extent of Surgery

From John Reid/Times-Pic:

The New Orleans Hornets declined to disclose the extent of shooting guard Eric Gordon’s arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday morning. Though the Hornets had Gordon listed as having a bone bruise that forced him to miss 22 consecutive games, Hornets officials would only disclose the surgery was performed to clean up his right knee.

They declined to say if Gordon’s surgery required the removal of bone fragments, cartilage tissue or excessive fluid. Gordon, who has played only two games this season, is expected to miss approximately six weeks that would make his possible return not until April, the final month of the regular season.

Louisiana State Officials question Arena Naming Rights Proposal

From WWLTV:

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- State officials raised complaints Tuesday about a proposal being considered by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board to buy the naming rights to the New Orleans Arena, where the NBA's Hornets play.

Houma-area state Sen. Norby Chabert said several south Louisiana lawmakers think the proposal is a bad idea.

The money would come from $30 million BP PLC gave to market Louisiana seafood after the Gulf oil spill in 2010.

Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham, who oversees the money, told a legislative panel that the state would have to reach a long-term agreement with the NBA to keep the New Orleans Hornets in Louisiana before any naming rights deal was struck. He said the story about the seafood board proposal "has gotten a whole lot more legs than it deserved."

Monty Williams Says Eric Gordon is Happy

From Associated Press:

WESTWEGO, La. -- Monty Williams still envisions Eric Gordon finishing the season on the court for the Hornets, despite the befuddling evolution of the shooting guard's right knee injury.

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Williams was at a loss to explain why the initial prognosis that Gordon would need only rest changed suddenly this week, but expressed confidence that the operation gave the club a more concrete timeline of about six weeks for Gordon's return.

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"The biggest thing is his desire to get on the court is something that people don't get to see," Williams continued, adding that reports Gordon does not want to play for the Hornets are "way off base."

"Eric is dying to get back on the floor," Williams said. "Because of where he is in his career, being young and the future of our franchise, I'm pretty sure we're being a ton more cautious than we would if ... this were three or four weeks before the playoffs."

Multiple Ownership Groups on the Fringes

From Jimmy Smith/Times-Pic:

Jac Sperling, the Hornets’ chairman and NBA governor for the past 14 months, said Monday the team will soon change hands from league ownership with an eye toward future stability and better on-court results.

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Sources with knowledge of the sales discussions indicated that the list of potential suitors has been whittled from a half-dozen or so, a number acknowledged by Stern on several occasions, and that all parties have entered into confidentiality agreements regarding sales discussions.

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Sperling is juggling both the sale negotiations as well as discussions with the state of Louisiana for a renegotiated lease agreement that will stretch an additional 10 years, as well as be void of escape clauses, assuring the Hornets’ presence in New Orleans for the long term.