Remember that $1.3 billion project featuring a basketball arena with a retractable roof because of course a retractable roof that a former NBA journeyman named Jackie Robinson announced he wanted to build last December? You’ve been trying to forget about it and hoping it would go away, haven’t you? Well, Robinson hasn’t, and now he’s gotten it approved by the Clark County Commission:
The approval is a first step for the proposed $1.3 billion project spearheaded by former UNLV basketball and NBA player Jackie Robinson. The plans presented today also include a 44-story hotel, a movie theater and an events plaza with food and retail.
So now all he needs is, let’s see, $1.3 billion. Robinson has said he doesn’t plan on asking for public money or tax breaks, though he has mentioned the possibility of EB-5 green-cards-for-loans financing; more to the point, it sounds like he won’t build anything until he gets an NBA team, which good luck with that. And even if he does get one, the way things are going in the sports franchise value game, he’d have to pay up close to a billion dollars either for an existing one or an expansion franchise, which means then he’d need two point three billion, and … I guess this could happen, but I’m still not holding my breath just yet.
Mostly, I’m pleased that this news has given KLAS-TV the chance to run the most directly honest headline I’ve seen in a while:
Ain’t that the truth.
This will get built due to problems with the Thomas and Mack Center. One of the problems is that the schagion (or stand that holds the backboard and hoop) caused Paul George’s injury, and the court wasn’t up to NBA standards before this injury.
You do know that you can just by new stanchion to move the base back 11″. Even if you’d have to modify the tunnel that is close (but more than 11″ away).
I’d go out on a limb and say that moving them 11″ is way less than $1.3 billion.
Err. Move it back 1″. It’s currently set at 3′ 11″. NBA Regulation is 4′. I think that can be definitely be done for less than $1.3 billion.
In other words, the injury would have still happened. However, according to a report at http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2014/08/02/could-paul-georges-injury-have-been-avoided/13505329/ the stanchion was located at 2 feet 2 inches. NBA regulations say at least 4 inches as the standard.
These guys play in gyms with a wall, they play in college and high school courts all the time. It is just an accident. When people of his size but light construction are moving that fast they are going to get hurt sometimes.