Why did the Seattle Supersonics move to OKC?

[Froob]

From what Seattle fans here in Cali told me, initially the Supersonics was supposed to stay in Seattle based on Bennett's "promises". But David Stern had a shady plan with Bennett to move the team to OKC. Apparently Stern had a little beef with Supersonics.

Stern with a shady plan? That's hard to believe.

Lmao, indeed.

I wonder if when he said that he "knows where the bodies are buried" if he was talking literally or figuratively.

[ThumbsUpBaby]

Stern with a shady plan? That's hard to believe.

Lmao, indeed.

I wonder if when he said that he "knows where the bodies are buried" if he was talking literally or figuratively.

You wouldn't even be able to tell from his face expression since he seems to have that poker face going on. I bet he has something hidden in his closets though.

[Cactus Jack]

Show me proof where Bennett lied to you ?

During his time in Seattle, before the move, Bennett stated several times through the media, that his number one priority was owning & securing an arena in SEATTLE. This is obviously a flat out lie. He never had any intention of owning the team in Seattle.

Minority owner Aubrey McClendon, was famously quoted as saying "But we didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle. We hoped to come here," he said. "We know it's a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it's great for the community and if we could break even, we'd be thrilled."

[Thunderhead]

Show me proof where Bennett lied to you ?

During his time in Seattle, before the move, Bennett stated several times through the media, that his number one priority was owning & securing an arena in SEATTLE. This is obviously a flat out lie. He never had any intention of owning the team in Seattle.

Minority owner Aubrey McClendon, was famously quoted as saying "But we didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle. We hoped to come here," he said. "We know it's a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it's great for the community and if we could break even, we'd be thrilled."

Yes, Bennett's priority was working to get an arena in Seattle, even if he told you in the PC that announced the sale, that you had one year to get a new arena plan in place, or he would have to look at his options.

Your construing comments into promises, that did not exist.

One more time, he had to get approval of the NBA owners to move the team. In order to gain that approval, he had to show that everything possible had been done to get an arena in Seattle.

Again, one more time, the owners did not want to lose the Seattle market for OKC. But they were weary of supporting a franchise that was showing losses every year. That was costing all the owners money.

Sonics were a problem for the NBA that had to be solved.

And reality is, there is nothing Bennett could've done, to get an arena in Seattle. The locals had to get it done. Bennett's role was to bring the hammer. He was the threat. He was the guy who was going to move the team if Seattle did not get motivated to build an arena.

That should've got it done, if Seattle really wanted the NBA.

And actually, it was to the Sonic's fans benefit, that he posed that threat. He can't promise you , that he's never gonna move the team, and still be that threat that helps you get a new arena and keep your team.

Do you not get that ?

Come on man, its your local politics that are causing you Sonic fans trouble. Quit blaming Stern, Bennett, and the NBA .... and find the real problem and address that.

Did you know Tulsa, OK has an NBA ready arena, brand new BOK Center, with no hope of an NBA franchise landing there. Kansas City has an NBA ready arena. Why can not Seattle, who prides themselves on being a world class city, not build an NBA arena ?

You're nine years down the road from the sale of the Sonics to Bennett ............. and you STILL do not have an NBA ready arena . When is reality gonna dawn on you , man ????

[Cactus Jack]

Show me proof where Bennett lied to you ?

During his time in Seattle, before the move, Bennett stated several times through the media, that his number one priority was owning & securing an arena in SEATTLE. This is obviously a flat out lie. He never had any intention of owning the team in Seattle.

Minority owner Aubrey McClendon, was famously quoted as saying "But we didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle. We hoped to come here," he said. "We know it's a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it's great for the community and if we could break even, we'd be thrilled."

Yes, Bennett's priority was working to get an arena in Seattle, even if he told you in the PC that announced the sale, that you had one year to get a new arena plan in place, or he would have to look at his options.

Your construing comments into promises, that did not exist.

One more time, he had to get approval of the NBA owners to move the team. In order to gain that approval, he had to show that everything possible had been done to get an arena in Seattle.

Again, one more time, the owners did not want to lose the Seattle market for OKC. But they were weary of supporting a franchise that was showing losses every year. That was costing all the owners money.

Sonics were a problem for the NBA that had to be solved.

And reality is, there is nothing Bennett could've done, to get an arena in Seattle. The locals had to get it done. Bennett's role was to bring the hammer. He was the threat. He was the guy who was going to move the team if Seattle did not get motivated to build an arena.

That should've got it done, if Seattle really wanted the NBA.

And actually, it was to the Sonic's fans benefit, that he posed that threat. He can't promise you , that he's never gonna move the team, and still be that threat that helps you get a new arena and keep your team.

Do you not get that ?

Come on man, its your local politics that are causing you Sonic fans trouble. Quit blaming Stern, Bennett, and the NBA .... and find the real problem and address that.

Did you know Tulsa, OK has an NBA ready arena, brand new BOK Center, with no hope of an NBA franchise landing there. Kansas City has an NBA ready arena. Why can not Seattle, who prides themselves on being a world class city, not build an NBA arena ?

You're nine years down the road from the sale of the Sonics to Bennett ............. and you STILL do not have an NBA ready arena . When is reality gonna dawn on you , man ????

No one is not putting blame on some of the politicians. Trust me, we get IT dude. The fact is everyone has a little blame to go around. Schultz for being naive and selling. Stern/the league for giving up on the region and it's fans after 40 plus years of support. Politicians for being frankly... politicians. That's beyond the point though. The argument being made, AGAIN, was in regards to Clayton Bennetts "good faith effort". Simply, the guy took advantage of a situation but also lied and Weasel'd his way back to Oklahoma with someone else's team.

[Thunderhead]

You still don't have an arena.

And we got your team.

And if you get a team, you gonna have to get somebody else's team. I'd be real careful bout gettin on your moral high horse.

But then, you won't be around to eat those words ............... if , and that's a big IF , you ever get another team, which I would bet never happens.

Thanks for the team.

[Cactus Jack]

You still don't have an arena.

And we got your team.

And if you get a team, you gonna have to get somebody else's team. I'd be real careful bout gettin on your moral high horse.

But then, you won't be around to eat those words ............... if , and that's a big IF , you ever get another team, which I would bet never happens.

Thanks for the team.

Wow. Your an even bigger jerk than I originally thought. Yeah...Enjoy your team. A team you HAD to TAKE from another city. Enjoy your ONE and ONLY team, big guy.

[NothingButLuck]

If only the team is still in Seattle, you know, a big market, maybe they could have kept James Harden and still have championship aspiration. At the very least they won't create another competitor in the conference.

[Thundestruck]

If only the team is still in Seattle, you know, a big market, maybe they could have kept James Harden and still have championship aspiration. At the very least they won't create another competitor in the conference.

Not sure it is that simple. The guy who picked all these guys for the Thunder was a Clay Bennett hire.

[Thunderhead]

If only the team is still in Seattle, you know, a big market, maybe they could have kept James Harden and still have championship aspiration. At the very least they won't create another competitor in the conference.

Not sure it is that simple. The guy who picked all these guys for the Thunder was a Clay Bennett hire.

Hah !! Yes, ............. if Rick Sund were still the GM, they would not have had Harden to trade him .

Maybe they could find another useless big, like Mo Sene or Robert .... what'is'name ??? Swift ??

And they still would not have had any revenue without an arena and that bad lease.

[Cactus Jack]

If only the team is still in Seattle, you know, a big market, maybe they could have kept James Harden and still have championship aspiration. At the very least they won't create another competitor in the conference.

Not sure it is that simple. The guy who picked all these guys for the Thunder was a Clay Bennett hire.

And yet that same guy made one of the biggest bone-headed trades. The same guy who refuses to pay the luxury tax.

[Thundestruck]

If only the team is still in Seattle, you know, a big market, maybe they could have kept James Harden and still have championship aspiration. At the very least they won't create another competitor in the conference.

Not sure it is that simple. The guy who picked all these guys for the Thunder was a Clay Bennett hire.

And yet that same guy made one of the biggest bone-headed trades. The same guy who refuses to pay the luxury tax.

Fine, but not really the point. You can't simply look at OKC's roster and say oh man if they were in Seattle can you imagine? If they were in Seattle the roster would look a lot different because Presti wouldn't be the GM. Maybe it would be even better or maybe it would continue to be loaded with the kind of drafts Seattle had made up to that point.

[Thundestruck]

If only the team is still in Seattle, you know, a big market, maybe they could have kept James Harden and still have championship aspiration. At the very least they won't create another competitor in the conference.

Not sure it is that simple. The guy who picked all these guys for the Thunder was a Clay Bennett hire.

And yet that same guy made one of the biggest bone-headed trades. The same guy who refuses to pay the luxury tax.

Also, not sure how you can both pay the luxury tax and refuse to pay the tax at the same time.

[Cactus Jack]

Not sure it is that simple. The guy who picked all these guys for the Thunder was a Clay Bennett hire.

And yet that same guy made one of the biggest bone-headed trades. The same guy who refuses to pay the luxury tax.

Also, not sure how you can both pay the luxury tax and refuse to pay the tax at the same time.

My point was Bennett and the group were too cheap to keep that core together. A guy like Ballmer owns the team and no way do they trade someone like Harden away to save money.

[Thundestruck]

IF Ballmer owned the team and IF they drafted James Harden then they might not have traded him. Maybe they kept Ray, didn't draft a PG the year before and took Rubio, Evans or Flynn over Harden? Way to many IFS.

End of the day Ballmer didn't buy the Sonics and didn't move the Clippers.

[Cactus Jack]

IF Ballmer owned the team and IF they drafted James Harden then they might not have traded him. Maybe they kept Ray, didn't draft a PG the year before and took Rubio, Evans or Flynn over Harden? Way to many IFS.

End of the day Ballmer didn't buy the Sonics and didn't move the Clippers.

Ok, wise guy. Enjoy your team when Durant & Westbrook decide to skip town, because of an unwillingness from ownership to open the pocketbooks.

[Thunderhead]

Ballmer had a chance to buy the team from Schultz, just like the other local money in Seattle, they wanted no part of that arena and that lease.

The Sonics only had value, to someone wanting to move the team.

Locals were too smart to pour money down that rat hole.

[Thundestruck]

So I'm a wiseguy because I don't think you can simply say the same roster moves would be made with a completely different GM in place? I think that is just a pretty reasonable take actually. Maybe Seattle hires the GOAT GM and is on there way to their 5th title in a row. I just don't think you can say dumb Thunder, the Sonics wouldn't have traded Harden. Maybe they wouldn't have. Maybe they wouldn't have drafted the guy. It is not like the displaced GM was known for his stellar drafting.

If Durant and Westbrook skip town I will definitely be unhappy but will continue to enjoy my team. Thanks for your concern.

[Cactus Jack]

Ballmer had a chance to buy the team from Schultz, just like the other local money in Seattle, they wanted no part of that arena and that lease.

The Sonics only had value, to someone wanting to move the team.

Locals were too smart to pour money down that rat hole.

We get it. Seattle still needs a new arena. This argument is getting really old. Next...

[Cactus Jack]

So I'm a wiseguy because I don't think you can simply say the same roster moves would be made with a completely different GM in place? I think that is just a pretty reasonable take actually. Maybe Seattle hires the GOAT GM and is on there way to their 5th title in a row. I just don't think you can say dumb Thunder, the Sonics wouldn't have traded Harden. Maybe they wouldn't have. Maybe they wouldn't have drafted the guy. It is not like the displaced GM was known for his stellar drafting.

If Durant and Westbrook skip town I will definitely be unhappy but will continue to enjoy my team. Thanks for your concern.

Of course it was dumb. It's pretty obvious it was a short-sided trade. All motivated by money.