NBA in Kansas City: Test Case?
Sprint Center
Kevin Pritchard gets it. The Portland Trailblazers’ GM, who is bringing his squad to the Sprint Center tonight to scrimmage against the Atlanta Hawks, thinks the NBA has viability in Kansas City. KUSports.com:
As far as Friday’s game … the location is perhaps a bigger story than the meaningless exhibition contest. Kansas City hopes to attract an NBA or NHL team to the Sprint Center sooner rather than later.
“I look forward to seeing the Sprint Center. I heard it’s unbelievable,” said Pritchard, starting point guard on KU’s 1988 NCAA championship team. “It’s such a basketball-crazy area. I think it could (support an NBA team),” he added.
Pritchard led the Kansas City Knights to the ABA championship in 2001, joining the San Antonio Spurs scouting department the following season.
“Being with the Knights was an amazing experience,” Pritchard said. “It was the minor leagues and by definition there are challenges. I got to learn from the bottom up. I learned to do a lot of different things that have been valuable to me.
“It’s nice to be playing a game in Kansas City again. The challenge has been all the ticket requests — about 70. That’s a good problem to have,” he added with a laugh.
Like Kev says, and like I’ve been saying for a couple years, KC is “basketball crazy.” We need an NBA franchise in here to showcase all the NBA talent playing in Lawrence, Kansas (and the one or two NBA players who might come through Manhattan and Columbia in the next ten years. Ha ha ha… )
October 10th, 2008 at 9:08 am
I agree. I’m a huge NBA (Spurs) fan and really, really want KC to get a team. Hopefully we can within the next few years.
By the way, I’m praying for you as you embark on this adventure of planting a church. I remember awhile back when we had that J-term church planting class with Dr. Earls which helped the gears get turning in all of our heads about church planting - and now the four of us that were in that class are all involved in new church starts! Pretty cool.
Hopefully there can be a way for our church (Fellowship of Grace) to help you! I know Michael enjoyed getting to meet you at the CP retreat. WEll gotta run - later!
October 10th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I’m wondering who KC can steal a team from, since more expansion doesn’t seem likely. Maybe after the “Thunder” fails to strike in OK City?
Thanks for the prayers, man. That class seems like ages ago, but it was a formative moment. Would be cool to catch up sometime. I enjoyed connecting with Michael too–maybe I’ll get the chance to collaborate with Fellowship of Grace in some way down the road.