Larry Bird gets what he wants from basketball.

Seeking revenge for the 1979 NCAA championship game loss to Michigan State, he finally beat Magic Johnson in a championship game in 1984.

He wanted to prove to the world and to himself that he could coach and he took the Pacers to the NBA Finals in 2000.

When Bird walked away from the Pacers' bench, he let it be known that he wanted to run a team and have an ownership stake. That appears imminent.

	Larry Bird, right, hopes to roost in Charlotte as an NBA owner with ex-teammate M.L. Carr.

There can be no more impressive front man for a group seeking an NBA franchise than Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Julius Erving or Michael Jordan. And while Erving and Jordan are calling their own shots in roles they have carved out and while Johnson (already owner of a five percent stake in the Lakers) continues a flirtation with the Seattle SuperSonics, Bird makes his bid.

The place is Charlotte, with a very ambitious goal to a team for the 2003-04 season.

Why Charlotte? Because it's there. And because Bird is a hero in Boston but can't get at the Celtics, having no relationship with chairman of the board Paul Gaston and a deteriorating one with cranky old man Red Auerbach.

Charlotte needs a team. Larry Bird needs a town.

Here's the crux of the issue:

Bird has a moneyman, Steve Belkin. He has capable allies in Jan Volk, the former Celtics general manager, and M.L. Carr, a terrific PR guy. In order for the league to accept a replacement team in Charlotte, there must be an arena agreement in place. In order for Belkin to be able to contribute his required share to the new building, he suggests that his initiation fee to the NBA be reasonable.

Sources told the Charlotte Observer that the expansion fee will approach $300 million -- nine times the $32.5 million charged when the Hornets came into the league in 1988.

On a visit to Charlotte with Bird on Monday, Belkin said he expects the NBA to negotiate an arena lease with the city, then come to potential ownership groups with the franchise fee -- he expects it to be from $200 million to $300 million. If more than one group is willing to pay this staggering sum, Belkin said he expects the league to make a "qualitative decision" about which to accept.

So far it's the Bird group making all the public moves and winning friends. So far, it's Bird who appears to have a very strong inside track.

This is not to diminish the efforts of two other groups that have shown interest in putting a new team in this market. Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, tired to buy the Hornets and keep them in town. Bob Sturges, a minority owner of the Heat in Miami, will also meet with deputy commissioner Russ Granik, who is running this operation for commissioner David Stern. But the fact is neither Johnson nor Sturges has the stature within NBA circles that Bird enjoys.

Look, given the debacle with the Hornets in which George Shinn and his henchman Ray Wooldridge blew up a franchise that at one point had eight straight years of sellouts, Larry Bird is balm to some very deep wounds.

	Given the debacle with the Hornets in which George Shinn and his henchman Ray Wooldridge blew up a franchise that at one point had eight straight years of sellouts, Larry Bird is balm to some very deep wounds.

Bird is a symbol of all that is good about the NBA. His reputation is untouchable, embodying performance of the highest order. The Hick from French Lick fits very well in a place like North Carolina, and he tells them what they want to hear and means it.

Bird says if he gets the team he will leave his home in Naples, Fla., and become a full-time Charlotte resident along with his wife and children. He likes Charlotte and he likes its relatively small size. He says that, if and when the new arena is built, he pictures it as a Mecca for kids -- a place where they can spend hours before and after games.

Still in debate is whether a team can actually be created in less than 12 months.

"In the past we've always had at least 15 months from signing the deal to putting an expansion team on the floor," Granik said. "You're talking about having to create a whole organization, hire the right people, then sell tickets and create a marketing plan for a new arena and make [TV and radio] deals.

"Maybe you can compress 15 months to 12 months, but if you think you can compress 15 months into nine months, I don't think that's going to work."

In terms of filling out a roster for the new team, Granik said he is sympathetic to concerns about how a team would be stocked through drafts and free agency. "I think that's premature to discuss," he said. "But for any expansion owner, that's a legitimate concern. It can make a difference."

Yes, it can. You would expect Bird to want a chance to win, and anyone coughing up some $300 million would want a few NBA quality players on his roster.

Oh, one more thing: You may recall that the city of Charlotte flatly turned down Shinn and Wooldridge who sought to intimidate them into building a new arena. It was an ABG situation -- Anybody But George.

Well, the city already has picked out a site -- two blocks of parkland away from the downtown football stadium. That's a strong message for the NBA. It's a strong statement on the city's behalf.

And a very attractive lure for a guy named Larry Bird.

Jeffrey Denberg, who covers the NBA for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.