Selling out the New Orleans Arena for the six Hornets games this season is vital to keeping the NBA team in the city, owner George Shinn said Friday.

The fact that New Orleans has its first NFL sellout season since the Saints were formed in 1967 cannot predict anything for the city's six Hornets games this year, Shinn said after the team's fan appreciation day.

"I think it's wonderful what happened to the Saints. But it's not fair to put us in the same category," said Shinn.

Shinn said the Hornets have sold about 13,000 of the arena's 18,000 seats for the Nov. 5 home opener against Houston. Three weeks ago, no more than 7,000 seats had been sold, he said.

"I was really worried then. I feel a lot better now," Shinn said.