<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">SO WHY would someone - anyone - want to own the 76ers? There actually are some reasons: ? There are only 30 teams in the NBA, making it an exclusive fraternity, and opportunities to join don't come up that often. ? The value of a franchise tends to rise dramatically. Harold Katz purchased the Sixers for $12 million and sold it to Comcast-Spectacor for $130 million. In December, Forbes magazine had the Sixers valued at $351 million. ? For some suitors, there can be a celebrity/recognition factor, especially if the new owner might want to be as out front as, say, Mark Cuban. ? And, imagine how you might be embraced if at some point in the future you were the owner of the team that had broken Philadelphia's long championship drought, or even were able to get as close as the Sixers did under former president and part-owner Pat Croce with a run to the 2001 NBA Finals? "You look at what [Croce] did, [and consider the possibility of] just trying to capture that moment again, and carry it out long term," said Ken Shropshire, faculty director of the Wharton Sports Initiative. Of course, any potential owner also would be inheriting a team that has suffered a decline in attendance, that has missed the playoffs in 2 of the last 3 years, that has a player payroll of more than $60 million and also presumably would have to pay rent at the Wachovia Center. "The short story is, [it would have to be] somebody with a lot of money that's not looking for any quick return on their investment and can handle negative cash flow," Shropshire said. "If they're thinking investment, it's all on the back end." It remains to be seen whether Comcast-Spectacor will, in fact, sell the Sixers. It is clear that a flurry of media reports and speculation has attracted more interest, but as one person with knowledge of the situation said, "Some are just tire kickers." The Kushner family, whose business is based in Florham Park, N.J., apparently was more than that. A source indicated that the family, led by Jared Kushner - who recently purchased the New York Observer for $10 million - was interested enough to have been given a tour of the Wachovia Center.</div> Source
