NBA Expansion to Be Discussed at Meetings

The NBA will be asked to expand--both inside and outside of the United States.

Toronto, which already has NHL and major-league baseball teams, will be one of six cities that league officials will hear about when city representatives make a push for an expansion franchise at the annual NBA meetings Monday and Tuesday.

Several months ago the league’s Board of Governors instructed Commissioner David Stern to begin accepting expansion applications. Six cities submitted applications with an accompanying fee of $100,000.

Other candidates are Minneapolis; Charlotte, N.C.; Miami; Orlando, Fla., and Santa Ana.

Each city will make presentations to the NBA’s Advisory-Finance Committee on Monday. The presentations will last 30 minutes.

On Tuesday, the Board of Governors will hear the committee’s recommendation on expansion. The board, which consists of one representative from each of the 23 NBA teams, will then vote on the issue. Eighteen votes are required for approval of an expansion franchise.

Stern has said that the acceptance of applications from expansion hopefuls does not mean the league is necessarily committed to adding more teams.

“If the owners decide to expand for the 1987-88 season, my recommendation will be to admit not more than one team at that time,” Stern said.

Some officials have been hesitant about jumping into expansion before the current labor agreement with the players union expires at the end of the playoffs.

Each of the cities would make an interesting experiment for the NBA.

Toronto would give the NBA its first franchise outside the United States.

Minneapolis would mean a return of pro basketball to a city that featured Lakers teams with George Mikan in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s. The Lakers went west after 12 years in Minnesota.

Charlotte would represent the first professional basketball team in North Carolina since the Carolina Cougars of the ABA.

Both Orlando and Miami would mark the NBA’s first teams in Florida. Longtime Philadelphia 76ers player and Coach Billy Cunningham is closely involved with the group in Miami trying to lure a team to South Florida.

Santa Ana would give the NBA three teams in Southern California and five in the state. Although the Lakers have been very successful in L.A., fans have been slow to accept the Clippers, who moved from San Diego to L.A. two seasons ago.