MINNEAPOLIS -- With one NBA team having recently moved and another on the brink, NBA commissioner David Stern praised Minnesota owner Glen Taylor for buying the team in 1994 and keeping it from moving.

"If we didn't have a local person to step up, they were a serious threat to depart," Stern said Tuesday night before Minnesota's game with the Toronto Raptors.

The Vancouver Grizzlies moved to Memphis this year, and the Hornets are poised to leave Charlotte for New Orleans. Stern spoke highly of Taylor's efforts -- as well as other teams -- to maintain local ownership and avoid relocation.

"There's nothing like local ownership and local involvement," Stern said. "If you're trying to get Rainbow Foods to do a sponsorship, you need to have a trustworthy person convince them why it'll work. Our best franchises do that the best."

Stern cited the failure of the Grizzlies to establish a foothold in Vancouver after six seasons and three owners.

"That's the retail nature of operating an NBA franchise," he said. "You have to have the people to build the relationships with the community, especially in a country that was questioning our commitment.

"I fault the league, I fault the ownership, I fault the corporate community, but I don't fault the fans."

Stern said the NBA has been "twice-blessed in Minnesota," with the success of the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1950s and the Wolves' emergence as a playoff team.

The team nearly left town eight years ago when owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner reached an agreement to sell the Timberwolves to a group that would relocate the team to New Orleans.

But Stern vetoed the sale, and Taylor, chairman of a printing company from Mankato, Minn., came to the rescue.

"When I called (Stern) to indicate my interest, within hours he had (NBA Entertainment COO and president) Adam Silver on a plane," Taylor said.

Regarding future expansion, Stern said the league was still moving forward with plans to expand internationally, citing the Raptors' success in Canada.

"The future of the league is global," Stern said. "This is more than just a U.S. league, and that's an opportunity that our fans seize upon. We're stronger for (expanding to) Toronto."

Stern stressed that U.S. cities with few existing pro sports franchises would have an advantage over those with multiple teams for future relocations. He said Memphis is set up for success because the Grizzlies are the only pro team in town.

"It isn't enough to look at the demographics (of future cities), you have to look at the presence of other sports teams," Stern said. "When you add franchises, it adds certain pressures. It can work, but you have to work harder. There are just so many fans, corporate sponsorships and people who can buy club suites to go around."