One of the conspiracy theories floating around is that the Sixers are using the downtown arena proposal as a smoke screen to take the team to New Jersey, then use tax payer dollars to build a new home in the same location as their practice facility.

On Thursday’s episode of Crossing Broadcast, co-owner David Adelman, who is leading the arena project, said that Sixers leadership will not be doing that:

“I promise you that. Josh (Harris), David (Blitzer), and I have said from day one that this is a Philadelphia team and it’s not moving to New Jersey,” Adelman said.

The thought among some in Philadelphia is that the arena proposal serves as a front, an excuse to take the team across the river if the Sixers don’t get their preferred location on Market Street in Center City.

“Let me tell you – I must have the highest threshold of pain if that was true,” Adelman continued. “I’m getting punched in the face every day by unbalanced coverage in the media and all of this other stuff. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been worth all this pain just to create a story to move to Jersey.”

One of the reasons this thought is out there is because the Sixers got an $82 million tax credit from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Board to build their practice facility in Camden. Adelman was not part of HBSE ownership at the time, about eight years ago, and Scott O’Neil was running the business side, but the original thought was to put the facility at the Naval Yard near the South Philly sports complex, which obviously did not happen.

In this case, the Sixers have reiterated that the $1.3 billion arena proposal will be 100% privately funded, so no taxpayer money at the local or state level, the latter confirmed by Governor Josh Shapiro on a recent Crossing Broadcast appearance.

“I think it’s a great thing that the owners have proposed doing this without any public money,” Shapiro said. “They’re not asking me as Governor. I’m not aware that they’re asking anyone for any kind of public money.”

What we have is on-the-record statements from Sixers leaders saying that 1) they will not ask for tax payer dollars to build the arena and 2) they will not move to New Jersey if the Market Street plan is shut down. Certainly they could look elsewhere in the city if the proposal is rejected, but we’re months away from any sort of legislation even getting to City Council.