National Basketball Association team owners have approved moving the Charlotte Hornets franchise to New Orleans next season.
Representatives from 29 teams voted in a conference call today and approved the relocation. NBA Commissioner David Stern has also approved the move. The Hornets will begin playing at the New Orleans Arena next season.
Once one of the NBA's most popular franchises, the Hornets have seen attendance dwindle in recent years. At Thursday's Eastern Conference playoffs semifinal game against New Jersey, Charlotte Coliseum was half-empty. The Hornets beat New Jersey, 115-97.
New Orleans used to have an NBA franchise nicknamed the Jazz, but they moved to Salt Lake City and became the Utah Jazz in 1979. New Orleans is known for its jazz music, not Salt Lake City, but the franchise kept the nickname. No word on a possible nickname for the new team in New Orleans.