 In Florida, a state at the time without an NBA franchise, groups from Orlando, Tampa/St.Petersburg and Miami all vied to land franchises.The Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority eventually endorsed a group led by NBA Hall of Famer Billy Cunningham and former sports agent (and lifelong friend of Cunningham's) Lewis Schaffel, who received their financial backing from Carnival Cruise Lines founder Ted Arison, who would be majority owner.