Bad news for poaching the New Orleans Hornets

Hugo the Hornet won’t be riding his scooter to Kansas City. The NBA’s New Orleans Hornets exceeded attendance and revenue benchmarks, which means the franchise won’t need financial help from the state of Louisiana this year, the Associated Press reported today. That’s bad news for AEG and the Sprint Center.

The AP says:

During last season, the Hornets negotiated changes to their arena lease with the state to include the potential for new “performance-based” subsidies as well as an escape clause that allowed the Hornets to leave New Orleans if average attendance fell below 14,735 during a two-season period. That benchmark will be easily eclipsed, [Hornets president Hugh] Weber said.

The Hornets’ average attendance this season has been 16,853.

Attendance is expected to be as strong next season. So scratch the Hornets off the list of potential Sprint Center tenants.