NEW ORLEANS -- Political leaders celebrated a successful campaign to meet attendance benchmarks that will prevent the Hornets from leaving New Orleans after this season, then asked fans and the business community to do what they can to prevent annual nail-biting over the NBA's future in the Big Easy.
"Today's a great step forward but we're not done yet," Gov. Bobby Jindal said in a news conference at the New Orleans Arena on Monday, shortly before the Hornets hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder. "We cannot become complacent. ... We've got to continue to be vigilant in supporting the Hornets and keeping them here."Jindal, along with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and leaders of surrounding parishes said they were working together with area businesses to boost the Hornets' season-ticket base from a little more than 6,000 back to the 10,000 range, where it was for the 2008-09 season.
The Hornets' lease runs through 2014, but if attendance falls below an average of 14,735 for a two-season period, the Hornets may opt out. The period for calculating the two-season average closes at the end of each January.