Minor League Team Seeks Home in Anaheim

An owner of a proposed minor league basketball franchise will meet today with officials from the Arrowhead Pond and the Anaheim Convention Center, seeking a home for an Anaheim entry in a start-up league.

The ABA 2000 will hold a news conference today in Indianapolis, outlining plans for an eight-team league scheduled to tip off in November 2000. The league is expected to announce a television deal with national syndicator Mizlou.

Gary Elbogen, one of four partners who would operate the Anaheim franchise, said the league has reached agreements for its New York team to play in Nassau Coliseum and for its New Orleans team to play at the University of New Orleans. The league also plans to play in Chicago, Jacksonville, Kansas City, San Jose and Tampa.

The Big West Conference has discussed returning its basketball tournaments to the Anaheim Convention Center and its 7,500-seat arena starting next year, the first of many sporting events city officials hope to lure there as convention center renovations conclude. Greg Smith, general manager of the convention center, said he had talked with Pond officials about the possibility of the ABA 2000 team splitting its home games between the buildings.

Elbogen, who will meet separately with Smith and Pond executives, said he has interviewed candidates to run the franchise but declined to name them. He also said he and his partners could sell the name of the franchise to a corporation, much as the old Detroit Neon indoor soccer team did when it took the name of a Chrysler Corp. sedan.

“To us, it’s the most logical step in sports marketing,” Elbogen said. “Why just name an arena? Why not name the team?”