NEW YORK -- Not too many people have beaten Larry Bird one-on-one.

Robert Johnson, the billionaire founder of Black Entertainment Television, did just that, besting Bird in the competition to own the NBA's new Charlotte franchise.

	BET founder Robert Johnson is the NBA's first black majority owner and first black majority owner in major pro sports.

The NBA officially announced Wednesday that Johnson will get the chance to put a team back in North Carolina, making him the first black majority owner in major pro sports.

"We are confident that Mr. Johnson's background, resources and track record of success in the entertainment industry will make him an outstanding NBA owner," NBA Board of Governors chairman and Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo said Wednesday.

Bird was devastated by the league's decision, which followed presentations from both groups to an expansion committee Monday.

"I'm heartbroken," the Hall of Famer said in a statement released by his agent Tuesday night. "It's hard to realize that the dream I've had for so many years is not to be, and that an awesome opportunity, which would have been the greatest and most exciting challenge in my life, will not come to pass."

Bird has been a success at every level of his basketball career, leading Indiana State to an NCAA title game and the Boston Celtics to three NBA titles as a player. As a coach, he led the Indiana Pacers to the 2000 NBA Finals.

But with the expansion committee's decision, Johnson denied Bird the chance to construct a title contender from the ground up.

"It's difficult for me to properly express how deeply disappointed I am that we did not get the opportunity to build a championship team in Charlotte," Bird said.

Johnson said he would not consider bringing Bird aboard.

Boston businessman Steve Belkin fronted the Bird group.

The former chief of Bank of America will own part of the new NBA franchise in Charlotte.

Hugh McColl Jr. said Thursday he will own part of the team but would not elaborate on his investment. It was expected that a group of Charlotte residents would invest about $50 million along with the $300 million that Johnson will pay the NBA for a majority interest in the new team.

The team is to begin play in the 2004-05 season and replaces the Hornets, who moved to New Orleans this year. After one season at the Charlotte Coliseum, the team will move into a new $260 million downtown arena.

The franchise fee is expected to be $300 million.

Forbes magazine estimated Johnson's wealth at $1.3 billion this year, making him 149th on the magazine's list of richest Americans.

Though Johnson reportedly played down the issue of race in his expansion committee presentation, Chicago-based sports finance consultant Marc Ganis said there is no doubt it helped Johnson's case.

"As long as the person met the qualifications and paid full price for the franchise, it's very important to bring controlling minority interests into professional sports, particularly the NBA," Ganis said.

Johnson became a billionaire when media conglomerate Viacom bought BET for about $2.3 billion in stock in 2000. Ganis said the source of his wealth made the league's decision easier.

"He has real dead presidents. He had something he created of value, that was easily identifiable and tangible," Ganis said.

The NBA's full Board of Governors, with a representative from each of the 29 teams, is expected to vote on Johnson in early January.

The Hornets left Charlotte after years of declining attendance and failed attempts to get a new arena built. The league approved the move, but Charlotte leaders successfully argued that the city, which led the NBA in attendance for eight seasons in the late 1980s and early 1990s, should get a new team.

Belkin soon emerged as a contender. Johnson, who had tried twice without success to buy the Hornets from owner George Shinn, also said he would like to own the franchise.

Johnson, who is based in Washington, D.C., insisted all along that his chances would not be hurt by not having a marquee name like Bird in his camp.

"What's going to give the edge in marketing is your players and what your team does on the court, no matter who is the head of basketball operations -- even if you have Michael Jordan as the head of basketball operations," he said last week.

Jordan and Johnson are friends, raising the possibility that Johnson might be tempted to lure Jordan to the new team if Jordan chooses not to buy back his ownership stake in the Washington Wizards. Jordan has said he won't play after this season.

"I think Bob's going to do well," Jordan said Tuesday. "He has the first thing that you need in owning a basketball team ... which is loving the game. And he's willing to fork over the money to make sure he builds a team solid. He has a great fan base. It's been proven that you can survive in Charlotte when you're winning. He's going to do a great job."

NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik said Johnson did not mention Jordan in his presentation to the expansion committee.

Johnson would be the first black person to hold controlling interest in a team in one of the four major pro sports leagues -- the NBA, NFL, NHL and major league baseball. In the NBA, Bertram Lee and Peter Bynoe both held minority interests in the Denver Nuggets.