California businessman's group a top candidate to own New Orleans Hornets
The group includes Raj Bhathal; Larry J. Benson, brother of Saints owner Tom Benson; and former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy.
3 months ago
RyanCaz
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Do not want.
"Sleeping on me probably in the coffin" - Tyga
Rally Squirrel will steal yo gurl.
SANI BOOOOOY!!!
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Me Neither
Pulling for Chouest
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by MrWayneKeller on Feb 23, 2012 10:56 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Any Benson would be good.
Dunleavy might be interesting. Raj Bhathal is apparently a swimsuit magnate, who (like Benson) use to own a World League football team. JUST GIVE ME AN OWNER!
Results of a Google Archive search for Raj Bhathal
Seems pretty reclusive – there’s only been a handful of
Highlights: From India, educated in the US, built a swimsuit empire in CA. His only real foray into the limelight was a stint as the owner of the Orlando Thunder, a World League of American Football team. At the time as an owner, he stayed in California, presumably doing swimsuit stuff, and was criticized for not being around the team enough. Presumably that wouldn’t be an issue – the septuagenarian is now retired.
Best part: the Bhathals are described as Orange County’s First Family of Swimwear.
you know what...
I do not care if the team moves. I was a fan when they were in Charlotte all be a fan if they go to KC. I am a HORNETS fan not a fan of the city. If they go somewhere else and change there name then all be a fan of that team. That’s just how it is. How many here were fans before the move to New Orleans?
I Was
A big Charlotte fan. Muggsy was the player if my youth. I grew up on the Hornets and when they moved to New Orleans (I’m from Ponchatoula, LA), I finally had a hometown team. For that reason, I want them to succeed in New Orleans so bad. I’d cheer for them regardless…. Unless they became the Seattle Supersonics…. But it would break my heart to do so.
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by MrWayneKeller on Feb 23, 2012 11:33 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
I'm agree with MrWayne
Growing up, I liked the Hornets logo and Muggsy Bogues. The first thing that stood out to me as a child was their cool logo/mascot. After watching them play, Muggsy became a favorite of mine. I’m not exactly tall and neither was Muggsy, but he didn’t let that stop him. He was kind of an underdog because of his height and everyone loves an underdog.
Can you imagine a 5’3" PG in today’s NBA? Not likely.
Peyton, I can eat Oreos faster than you!!!!
Earl Boykins 5'5" was still in the league last year...
The smarter you are, the more likely you are to be tripping balls at any given moment.
/keep Batum and Aldridge/ /BLOW IT UP/
I became a fan of the Hornets in 1993 and stayed that ever since. Therefore, there is no inherent rooting interest from me for the Hornets to stay in New Orleans, but especially since the time I was in New Orleans for the first time, I really want them to stay there. It would break my heart now and give me a really hard time if they moved or changed their name!
Hence, stay in New Orleans!
by berlinhornets on Feb 24, 2012 1:59 AM CST up reply actions
I'm a fan of the city...
so no NOLA means no basketball for me.
I am not excited about this group of investors at all.
by Downtowndave78 on Feb 24, 2012 7:51 AM CST up reply actions
Well
I would actually like to see a list of pro teams owned by a “local” or “homegrown” owner. It’s ideal but I don’t see this as a deal breaker for the city.
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by MrWayneKeller on Feb 24, 2012 12:25 PM CST up reply actions
I was a fan when they were in CHA as well
But i’ve kind of developed a connection with the city of NOLA because of the Hornets. I suddenly look at myself as a New Orleans fan rather than a Hornets fan. So if they move, I’m no longer connected to any city. I can actually see myself hating the Hornets because they left NOLA. So yeah, NOLA before Hornets.
Likewise
it didn’t hurt I happened to move to New Orleans a few months before they played their first game in the city but it would definitely not be the same for me if they play somewhere else.
Did The List Myself
A list of the owners for each team and where they’re from.
Atlanta Hawks – Michael Gearon, Jr. (local)
Boston Celtics – Boston Basketball Partners LLC (local)
Charlotte Bobcats – Michael Jordan (local)
Chicago Bulls – Jerry Reinsdorf (grew up in New York, lived in Chicago at the time)
Cleveland Cavaliers – Dan Gilbert (from Detroit)
Dallas Mavericks – Mark Cuban (from Pennsylvania)
Denver Nuggets – Stan Kroenke (from Missouri)
Detroit Pistons – Tom Gores (from Michigan)
Golden State Warriors – Peter Guber & Joe Lacob (both from Boston)
Houston Rockets – Leslie Alexander (from New Jersey)
Indiana Pacers – Herbert Simon (from Indiana)
Los Angeles Clippers – Donald Sterling (from Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Lakers – Jerry Buss (from Utah, lived in Los Angeles at the time)
Memphis Grizzlies – Michael Heisley (from Virginia)
Miami Heat – Micky Arison (from Israel, lived in Florida at the time)
Milwaukee Bucks – Herb Kohl (from Milwaukee)
Minnesota Timberwolves – Glen Taylor (from Minnesota)
New Jersey Nets – Mikhail Prokhorov (from Russia)
New York Knicks – James Dolan (from New York)
Oklahoma City Thunder – Clay Bennett (from Oklahoma City)
Orlando Magic – Richard DeVos (from Michigan, living in Orlando at the time)
Philadelphia 76ers – Ed Snider (from Washington D.C., living in Philadelphia at the time)
Phoenix Suns – Robert Sarver (from Arizona)
Portland Trail Blazers – Paul Allen (from Seattle)
Sacramento Kings – Maloof Brothers (from Las Vegas)
San Antonio Spurs – Peter Holt (from San Antonio)
Toronto Raptors – Richard Peddie (from Toronto)
Utah Jazz – Larry Miller (from Utah)
Washington Wizards – Ted Leonsis (from New York)
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By The Numbers
Teams owned by locals: 13 of the 30
Teams owned by transplanted locals: 5 of the 30
18 out of the 30 teams are then owned by people with some kind of connection to the city their franchise is in. It’s over half of the leagues but it’s not a substantially high number. In fact, if we were to put a number on it, it’d be at 60%. So it’s not exactly paramount to have local ownership take over for the Hornets here. Then again, a lot of the small market squads, in fact, are owned by people with local ties to the city. But if it’s any consolation, the 29th smallest market in the league (New Orleans is 30th) in Memphis is owned by someone who isn’t a local.
My deal is not so much wanting local ownership but not wanting Mike Dunleavy to take over the front office (given his awful, awful, awful track record as a GM; especially with the Clippers).
And if we’re worried about someone buying the team and moving them, I suppose there could always be a team put in Anaheim but the main guy here is from Los Angeles. The California market is already pretty saturated so without the desire to move the Hornets to a place they’re from, there shouldn’t be any great worries here about relocation. Nobody from Seattle or Kansas City is buying the team.
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by MrWayneKeller on Feb 24, 2012 2:14 PM CST up reply actions
It's Possible
But nobody there has strong San Jose ties that makes it stand out to me. That’s what I meant. It’s owners that want to move them to places they’re living. Unless the NBA wants a third team in Los Angeles, we don’t have to fear that.
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by MrWayneKeller on Feb 25, 2012 4:40 PM CST up reply actions
Thanks for the info...
Very good information, but now that I’ve been enlightened about Dunleavy I have something else to worry about.
by Downtowndave78 on Feb 24, 2012 3:46 PM CST via mobile reply actions

















