Owners approve Sonics move

[Lost Angel]

as a laker fan, this is truly disappointing to hear.


I will never forget the battles for the Pacific division in the 90's, when the Sonics featured Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp.


I'd like to thank the fans from Seattle for their dedication and loyalty, even when they were getting screwed over by morons like Bennet.


Seattle will remain a top NBA city, and it won't be long before a team moves there.

[LetItRain]

Personally, I don't think the Sonics will do that great in OKC. Yeah, they had great attendance, enthusiasm, etc. when the Hornets were playing there part-time, but I think that was just a novelty effect. Don't ask me why, but I just don't see OKC supporting a team like that for a sustained amount of time.

[snaquille oatmeal]

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this is true. i will spare you all the specifics, but understand that sonic ownership was all too willing 12 years ago to enter into the current lease agreement, written after the city paid to upgrade the Key to a first class facility. they were happy to take the city's money as was the nba at that time.

yeah, 12 years ago. the lease is gonna expire in 2 years. if the NBA wants a bigger and better facility than the negotiations should be a few years before it expires so they can build the arena on time. so why did the city procastinate till it was to late? I am thinking that they wanted to low ball the Sonics into renwing the lease and forget about the new Arena.

it was a bad lease agreement because too much money generated by the sonics goes to the city. a mere decade later, the nba and the sonics come marching back with hands out looking for more.

this supports the owners point of view as to why start somewhere new (new Arena or new city)imo.

note that both howard schultz and clay bennet purchased this team with this lease agreement in place. they knew the challenges, the bought anyway. hurdles need to be overcome, things need to change but the nba works in this city and to give up on it at this time is ridiculous.

at the rate of speed that the city moves on this subject and Seattle does agree to give them a new arena by the time it is finished the Sonics will be homeless. I don't blame the NBA and the owner for not wanting to wait until it is too late.

there is no doubt whatsoever that making money is not why the team is leaving, this is about a man buying a toy and bringing it to his home town so he can be a hero and a commisioner allowing it for his own egotistical reasons. only a fool of the highest degree would think that okc and tulsa will somehow be a more profitable market than seattle for this franchise.

a blind man could have seen that a mile away, so why didn't Seattle? if the city would have aproved the proposal and presented that aproved proposal to Stern and the owner than none of this would have happened. as I understand it from the press conference the city is not even willing to leave the door open for any NBA future in Seattle unlike Charlotte did when they lost the Hornets.

i say again, this is setting a precedent that WILL screw other fans very soon

I know what is like to lose a beloved franchise. I am from LA and to this day I wont watch a Rams game, but I think that often us the fans are blinded by bias. I would look at the local leaders for letting this happen more so than somebody whos intentions were already known. look at what happen to Kings. the entire city of Sacramento is butt crazy in love with that team, yet the politicians put an initiative to keep the Kings in town on a ballot in a special election, but don't tell the public about it. then when it got rejected the politicians blame the public for not voting for it. from my point of view (an outsider) it seems that the reason the Sonics will leave is the unwillingness of the city to pay for a new Arena and not because the new owner stole the team.

btw, the very first NBA game I attended was between the Lakers and the Sonics back in the 80's. special memories of that game.

[sine]

Don't worry people, your favorite team is probably not in any danger since your local politicians are spineless idiots who will give team owners as much of your money as necessary to keep them in town.

[snaquille oatmeal]

Don't worry people, your favorite team is probably not in any danger since your local politicians are spineless idiots who will give team owners as much of your money as necessary to keep them in town.

thats why Seattle will keep the Seahawks and the Mariners.

[mojomarc]

Personally, I don't think the Sonics will do that great in OKC. Yeah, they had great attendance, enthusiasm, etc. when the Hornets were playing there part-time, but I think that was just a novelty effect. Don't ask me why, but I just don't see OKC supporting a team like that for a sustained amount of time.

Like other one-team towns such as Portland, Sacramento, and Utah haven't supported their teams for a sustained amount of time?

[Seattlesun]

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I know what is like to lose a beloved franchise. I am from LA and to this day I wont watch a Rams game, but I think that often us the fans are blinded by bias. I would look at the local leaders for letting this happen more so than somebody whos intentions were already known. look at what happen to Kings. the entire city of Sacramento is butt crazy in love with that team, yet the politicians put an initiative to keep the Kings in town on a ballot in a special election, but don't tell the public about it. then when it got rejected the politicians blame the public for not voting for it. from my point of view (an outsider) it seems that the reason the Sonics will leave is the unwillingness of the city to pay for a new Arena and not because the new owner stole the team.

btw, the very first NBA game I attended was between the Lakers and the Sonics back in the 80's. special memories of that game.

nothing you're saying is factually incorrect. the city leaders are to blame. however, the nba is saying 40 years of history be damned and the fans of seattle be damned. they are clearly showing that all that matters is money and that things be done on their terms. there has been numerous options pop up to keep the team here and be profitable the last year that the nba could have helped get thru, IF they had wanted to.

my argument will continue to be that this should concern nba fans, stern's clear message is that you do not matter.

and i say once again, this will happen again. there are towns all around the nba that could be dealing with this in the next decade and the precedent is being sent loud and clear

[Rox_Nix_Nox]

Good for Oklahoma City. They really have a nice fan base.

[snaquille oatmeal]

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nothing you're saying is factually incorrect. the city leaders are to blame. however, the nba is saying 40 years of history be damned and the fans of seattle be damned. they are clearly showing that all that matters is money and that things be done on their terms. there has been numerous options pop up to keep the team here and be profitable the last year that the nba could have helped get thru, IF they had wanted to.

my argument will continue to be that this should concern nba fans, stern's clear message is that you do not matter.

and i say once again, this will happen again. there are towns all around the nba that could be dealing with this in the next decade and the precedent is being sent loud and clear

unfortunatly that is nothing new

reguards,

The Brooklyn Dodgers
The San Diego Clippers
The LA Rams
The Vancouver Grizzlies
The Seattle Supersonics