David Stern discusses Pelicans, Spurs fine, Kobe Bryant

• NBA Commissioner David Stern met with news media Wednesday in New Orleans
• Stern said he's fine with Hornets name change to Pelicans but process remains unfinished
• Stern also defended $250,000 fine of Spurs for sending home four players for big game

David Stern talked Pelicans.

The NBA commissioner spoke with the news media Wednesday, and he discussed the $250,000 fine levied on the San Antonio Spurs, Kobe Bryant's 30,000 points and his 2014 retirement. But with the news conference in the Big Easy, the focus was on the New Orleans Hornets' potential name change.

Tom Benson, who was awarded the franchise in April, owned a minor league baseball team named the Pelicans and has retained ownership of the trademarks. However, there was some question over whether the NBA would allow the name change, especially since the Pelicans nickname generated a negative reaction from news media and fans when the news leaked Tuesday.

While Benson and the franchise still have a lengthy approval process to make the name change official, Stern made it clear that he has no problem with the Hornets becoming the Pelicans.

"If it works for them, it works for me," Stern said. "I don't have any objections to anything that the Hornets want to do name-wise because I'm sure it'll be sensible. … I'm sure whatever it is, it'll be good. If (Pelicans) is what it is, that's fine. … I think everything sounds good. I think Lakers, have you seen any lakes in Los Angeles? There's the same amount of lakes in L.A. as there is jazz in Utah, or grizzlies in Memphis. I'm out of that business. Whatever works for a team works for me."

Stern said the Hornets filed for protection on five potential names, adding that he would help expedite the process for the team Benson bought from the league. After checking in with the franchise this week, he's pleased with the progress that the organization has made in recent months.

"I visited with the Hornets' entire staff today, along with ownership, and we're very pleased on behalf of the NBA to see what they're doing out there," Stern said. "At the (NFL's New Orleans) Saints' practice facility, they're building a headquarters to house the Hornets' staff, they're building a new practice facility for the Hornets and they're using both organizations to help the other. We couldn't be happier.

"They're a young team and obviously two of their youngest and best players are injured as we speak, but they've got lots of cap room, they've got their draft picks, they have a stable situation with Dell [Demps'] extension and they have one of the best young coaches in the league, who guarantees you, Monty [Williams] does, that his team is going to come out and compete every single night. That's the statement that they're making to the city and I think it's great."

Stern also said he wouldn't mind if the Charlotte Bobcats once again became the Charlotte Hornets.

"I'm very differential to teams, as you know," Stern said. "If Charlotte wanted to ultimately change their name back to the Hornets that would be okay with me."

Stern did not plan his trip to coincide with Bryant's milestone, but he was in the building to witness history as the Lakers star became the fifth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points.

"You think he's going to score 13 points?" Stern joked, referring to what Bryant needed for the mark. "I want to shake his hand. I think Kobe is, as a talent and a competitor, up there on the pedestal with Michael Jordan. He's one of the greatest.

"Kobe had an extraordinary run, playing at the highest level for so long, with the championships to prove it," Stern later added. "In a league that is extremely competitive, Kobe and the Lakers have been an important part of the league and I wish them well, for this season and beyond."

Stern was also asked about the Lakers' cable deal, which is reportedly worth $3 billion over 20 years.

"It's one component of the Lakers' income that gets accounted for when they make a payment into the revenue sharing pool, so there's more money to be shared," Stern said. "The combination of that and the tax tend to act as something of a brake on team spending."

Stern also used the news conference to defend the controversial $250,000 fine against the San Antonio Spurs for resting Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Danny Green during a nationally televised game against the Miami Heat.

"Well, at the April 2010 meeting on the agenda was the subject of teams resting otherwise healthy players at the end of the season," Stern explained. "There were many views expressed, I sort of took it as that and I said it, although in the first instance that's for the team to decide, or coach to decide, obviously under the power that I have to deal with conduct detrimental to the league I retain the right to deal with that. The owners understood that and remembered that.

"In the case of San Antonio, they didn't just come to town and rest healthy players. They sent a 26-year-old and 30-year-old plus Manu and Timmy home virtually under the cover of darkness or light of day, however you do it, without notifying as our rules require for injury and illness. Maybe it's my mistake not to think injury and illness when you're secreting someone away should also include deciding to move them out. So in all other circumstances, I thought if we didn't do something this time there would never be a reason to do it. Only visit to Miami, practically the first month of the season, notifying nobody and sending home young and healthy players, it merited rebut and I did it. And this was a team decision. This is not me and Pop. Pop is a great coach, Hall of Fame coach. This decision was made by the entire senior management and ownership of the San Antonio Spurs and I felt that they were doing what they perceived was their job and I was doing what I perceived as my job and that's what happens."

If the Spurs had notified Stern, would they have been fined?

"The beauty of that is, I don't know," Stern said. "It depends. I said it's the totality of the circumstances. I would suggest to you if we had been notified it wouldn't have happened. So maybe from their perspective they did the right thing, but not from mine."

His opinion holds top billing for only 14 more months. Stern will retire in February 2014, and deputy commissioner Adam Silver will step into the top spot. What does Stern plan to do once Silver takes over?

"The league is in great shape, I have presented to the owners a successor who will have been with the league for 22 years and knows more about many subjects that I do, and the game will continue to grow on a global basis," Stern said. "It's been a great run.

"I'm going to enjoy the next 14 months. And then wait until I start my blog."

Kennedy writes for Hoopsworld.com, a member of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group.