The NBA tips off in Jacksonville tonight with a preseason exhibition between the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Pelicans and we're hearing city officials say they want this to be a step toward not only bigger sporting events in Jacksonville, but also maybe a team of our own in the future.
"We want to show the NBA that this city likes basketball and that it supports its basketball," says city sports and entertainment Alan Verlander.
Verlander says any time Jacksonville does a sporting event they want to do it first class with the city's full support...Verlander says he hopes this leads to more NBA games here in the future and maybe...
"You never know in future years what that could mean about, you know, trying to follow Mayor Brown's vision of bringing an NBA team to Jacksonville."
Tip off is at 7 p.m. at the Veterans MEmorial Arena and Verlander says the game should be nearly sold out.