Sonics Sold to Oklahoma Group

[Kobe24]

Why not move the team? The fans cheer for the opposing team and they have to support only jump shooters and players with huge egos.

[ZHAKIDD532]

I think that the Hornets need to stay in NO, so do the Saints. Chris Paul and Reggie Bush can put help put that city back together...

[SCY]

This is bull****. Pisses me off so much that Stern allows teams to hold taxpayers hostage. Build your own damn stadium, and if you can't afford it, don't buy an NBA franchise. Why can't that be how things work?

Agreed, it's terrible.

[ZHAKIDD532]

^definetly

[ShawnieMac06]

The city isn't doing much to support their stay though. The fans yes, but not the city officials. Isn't this whole mess about a new arena, or renavating the Key Arena or something?

I think it had more to do with the lease situation between the city of Seattle (which owns KeyArena) and the Supersonics. Starbucks Schultz was crying poor in saying that the Sonics are losing money on the lease on KeyArena. I think since the city and the state of Washington, who already spent about a billion dollars building new stadiums for the Mariners and Seahawks, didn't want to spend anymore money for an arena that was just renovated 12 years ago and still looks in fine shape. But then again, it is the oldest arena in the NBA (opened in 1962) and eventually they might have to build a new facility anyway.

It would be a shame if the Sonics did move, they were the team that made Seattle a major professional sports city--they were the first franchise there, a team that gave Seattle its first and only major league sports championship, and have a near 40-year history of good basketball teams and players.

[adamcz]

The answer that would end this problem forever, is to make it illegal for governments to award free stadiums to teams. All of the sudden, teams would have to build their own stadiums, and cut player salaries to come up with the money. If you need a new stadium with better revenue generating capabilities, you build it.

[Young HkM]

The city isn't doing much to support their stay though. The fans yes, but not the city officials. Isn't this whole mess about a new arena, or renavating the Key Arena or something?

It pretty much nobody but the Sonics and some others want to build the stadium, very few want to pay any more taxes since we have payed for Safeco (Mariners), Qwest Field (Seahawks), and we're currently paying a lot of money for the construction on a lightrail that travels all through the city. The city of Bellevue wants to build a stadium for the Sonics and that'd be good if they can take care of the Sonics once the lease it up, but we'll see what happens.

[Young HkM]

I think it had more to do with the lease situation between the city of Seattle (which owns KeyArena) and the Supersonics. Starbucks Schultz was crying poor in saying that the Sonics are losing money on the lease on KeyArena. I think since the city and the state of Washington, who already spent about a billion dollars building new stadiums for the Mariners and Seahawks, didn't want to spend anymore money for an arena that was just renovated 12 years ago and still looks in fine shape. But then again, it is the oldest arena in the NBA (opened in 1962) and eventually they might have to build a new facility anyway.

It would be a shame if the Sonics did move, they were the team that made Seattle a major professional sports city--they were the first franchise there, a team that gave Seattle its first and only major league sports championship, and have a near 40-year history of good basketball teams and players.

It's not from '62. In that lot used to be the Coliseum, but they tore it down and started from scratch. The Keyarena was opened in like '95. Just to clarify.

[ShawnieMac06]

It's not from '62. In that lot used to be the Coliseum, but they tore it down and started from scratch. The Keyarena was opened in like '95. Just to clarify.

Maybe so, but the exterior from the original Coliseum is still the same...all they did was gutted the inside and built a completely new facility, that's what I meant.

[Noob Saibot]

Have the Supersonics ever won a championship in Seattle? Seattle just has buzzard luck i guess. Should've listened to commander Stern and built a new arena in Bellevue.

Oklahoma Sonics, man that don't sound right. :confused:

[ShawnieMac06]

Have the Supersonics ever won a championship in Seattle? Seattle just has buzzard luck i guess. Should've listened to commander Stern and built a new arena in Bellevue.

Oklahoma Sonics, man that don't sound right. :confused:

They won a title in 1979 (beat Washington), but lost in '78 (to Washington) and '96 (to Chicago)

[Rab]

It pretty much nobody but the Sonics and some others want to build the stadium, very few want to pay any more taxes since we have payed for Safeco (Mariners), Qwest Field (Seahawks), and we're currently paying a lot of money for the construction on a lightrail that travels all through the city. The city of Bellevue wants to build a stadium for the Sonics and that'd be good if they can take care of the Sonics once the lease it up, but we'll see what happens.

Cool, thanks for the info.

[GoRapz]

good thing the Raptors didn't move.

But if the fans want the Sonics to stay in Seattle, every game next year better be sold out.

[kwajo]

damn, I was really pulling for Vancouver to regain a team

[insidehoops]

Bump