NBA NOTEBOOK: Oklahoma City scales back Thunder project
Published 10:23 pm Tuesday, May 25, 2010
OKLAHOMA CITY — An oversight board charged with keeping renovations of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s arena under budget now has a clearer picture of a multimillion dollar shortfall in funding for the project.
Members of the city board were told Tuesday that the final budget for the renovations will be $112 million, or about $9 million less than anticipated when voters approved a one-penny sales tax intended to upgrade the arena and lure the Thunder away from Seattle.
The 15-month sales tax actually produced about $103.6 million in funds for the renovation, with the final check arriving last week. The city also can draw from an additional $8.4 million tax fund to cover part of the shortfall, but the board has been working for months to scale back the upgrades of the Ford Center and a new Thunder practice facility to keep from overspending.
“We want to deliver the quality we promised but I think we have to look at the money we’ve got here as an iron cap,” said City Councilman Patrick Ryan, the board’s chairman. “There’s no more money. Our source of funding has ended. I think we’d be on thin ground if we could even go back to the City Council and ask for additional money.”
Estimates now call for the city to spend about $91.7 million on the Ford Center upgrades instead of just under $100 million, and $14.4 million on the practice facility instead of $20 million.
Obama picks Lakers
President Barack Obama is projecting a Los Angeles Lakers win in the NBA finals. Obama told TNT in an interview that he’s been surprised by Boston, but believes Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and coach Phil Jackson would be too much for the Celtics. “I’ve got to go with the Lakers again,” Obama said. “I think Gasol may be the best big man in the league right now. He’s different from Dwight Howard, but he’s (got) unbelievable footwork, speed, savvy, he’s playing magnificently. Kobe is the fiercest competitor in the league and they’ve got what I continue to believe is the best coach in the NBA right now in Phil Jackson, so they’re going to be formidable and I think it’ll be a tough series. Boston’s a veteran club, but the Lakers are looking pretty good.”
Jackson mulls future
PHOENIX — A cagy Phil Jackson said Tuesday he has “no desire at all” to return to Chicago to coach the Bulls, though would “like to have a vodka” with the new owner of the New Jersey Nets. The Los Angeles Lakers coach addressed two reports by ESPN that the Bulls and Nets have worked through back channels to gauge his interest, saying those channels haven’t reached him. Jackson, who has coached teams to 10 NBA titles, is on the final year of his contract with the Lakers and has said there was “a 90 percent” chance he would either return to the team for an 11th season or would retire. His comment on the Nets referred to the billionaire new owner of the franchise, Russian Mikhail Prokhorov.
Pacers Price undergoes surgery
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers guard A.J. Price has undergone surgery on his left knee and will go through the rehabilitation process in Indianapolis. The Pacers said Price had successful surgery Tuesday to repair a fractured patella. He is expected to be out four to six months. Price was injured Saturday night while playing in a charity game in New York.
