Business Leaders Step Up To Keep NBA Team

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A group calling itself the Hornets Business Council is putting up money to buy Hornets' tickets and encouraging regional businesses and individuals to do the same.

Hornets majority owner George Shinn is selling the NBA team to the league, which has sparked worries that the league will in turn sell it to someone that will move it from New Orleans.

The group has raised $250,000 in 48 hours to be used to purchase tickets and boost attendance at games. The Hornets have a clause in their lease at the New Orleans Arena that would allow them to leave after this season if average attendance spanning a two-year period falls below 14,735.