New Jersey governor Chris Christie has had "casual conversations" with NBA Commissioner David Stern about the possibility of Newark getting another NBA team once the Nets leave for Brooklyn in 2012.

Christie is aware that Stern has expressed doubts about the feasibility of a third NBA franchise joining the Nets and Knicks in the same metropolitan area.

"But sometimes people don't say things to me that are going to make me unhappy — you know how that works," Christie said with a smile at a press conference at Newark's Prudential Center.

The event touted the upcoming NCAA men's college basketball tournament games to be played there in March.

"I think there is a future for NBA basketball here in Newark," Christie said. "I think that New Jersey having a state-of-the-art facility like Newark has here, you have the possibility of doing that. We support three [National Hockey League] teams in the region, so I don't see why we can’t support three basketball teams."