NBA owners approve the Sonics' relocation

[DJT]

NBA owners approve the Sonics' relocationAssociated Press
Updated: April 18, 2008, 2:34 PM EST 16 comments add this RSS blog email print NEW YORK (AP) - NBA owners have approved the Seattle SuperSonics' move to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season, pending the resolution of litigation between the team and the city of Seattle.

The Sonics could begin playing in owner Clay Bennett's hometown as early as next season if they can get out of the remaining two years of their lease at Key Arena.

Seattle has filed suit trying to force the Sonics to remain in the city until the lease expires in 2010, while Bennett wants to buy out the remainder. The city already has rejected Bennett's $26 million to settle the lease dispute. A trial is set to begin in federal court June 16.

"This team is destined to lose $30 million a year and is prepared to lose it for two more years, if that's what the city insists on exacting," NBA commissioner David Stern said.

Seattle hopes to keep the Sonics in town for what would appear to be two lame duck seasons, to buy time for a group led by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to find an arena solution and eventually purchase the team from Bennett to keep them in town.

Ballmer's group already has proposed paying for half of a $300 million expansion of KeyArena, with the other half coming from the city and from county tax revenues.

"We know the longer they are in the Seattle, the better the chance they will stay," Mayor Greg Nickels said Thursday of the Sonics.

"I think if we had a group the caliber of one led by Steve Ballmer and we had an arena pot with $300 million available in it, the NBA would have a hard time abandoning a city that's always had pro basketball — at least for the last 41 years," Nickels said. "They are already awful nomadic with teams like the Hornets and Grizzlies moving," in this decade.

"I think the Ballmer group stepping forward was a game-changer for us," Nickels said.

Bennett is also facing a class-action lawsuit brought by season-ticket holders who say they were duped into buying tickets under the premise the Sonics wouldn't leave.

And this week former team owner Howard Schultz announced plans to sue to get the team back, saying Bennett did not make a good-faith effort to secure a new arena deal as he promised when he bought the team in 2006.

"It really doesn't feel like it's over here yet," Sonics forward Nick Collison, who owns a home up the hill from KeyArena, said before the vote was taken. "There's still a lot of things to do."

I just hope the Sonics name can stay in Seattle.

 

[jarrod2323]

good riddance.. this article makes it seem like the move is made in a rush..

they've been asking for a new arena prior to the Sale in 06.... this is just crap cuz the city won't come up with the money for the Sonics since they just did that for the Mariners and Seahawks... funny thing is... the Sonics have been there longer then either of them - by a decade

 

[DJT]

But it also says towards the end of the article that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer plans to pay half of a 300M dollar upgrade to key arena, and buy the team back from Bennet, but in order for him to do that he needs the team to stay in Seattle until the lease is out. (2010)

I personally hope that they move to OKC, they will be loosing too much money staying until the lease is out. Just keep the Sonics name in Seattle is all I ask.

 

[MapleLeaf]

This new owner of the Sonics is a freaking selfish moron. Take a franchise of 40 years and just move it to your hometown. Classless

 

[Mr.Dj5]

This new owner of the Sonics is a freaking selfish moron. Take a franchise of 40 years and just move it to your hometown. Classless

it's not like they had great fans to began with

 

[DJT]

If you saw their last game in Seattle, you wouldn't say that. And who's who to decide whos a good fan and who isn't?

 

[AirForceFlash_3]

Finally, but stupid Seattle with the sue is holding them up. If they are going to work so hard to try and keep the Sonics away from OKC, then why didn't they get them a new stadium or upgrade Key Arena? Why the sell to the guy FROM OKC? It was pretty obvious this was going to happen, yet their trying to prolong it. Just let them go to OKC, nothing they can do about it. Well, right now anyways.

 

[MapleLeaf]

I mean what would OKC bring that Seattle couldn't? Maybe more people for like 2-3 years at most. But Seattle is much more of a basketball city. I mean I doubt Gary Payton wants his jersey retired in OKC....

 

[Pugz]

I mean what would OKC bring that Seattle couldn't? Maybe more people for like 2-3 years at most. But Seattle is much more of a basketball city. I mean I doubt Gary Payton wants his jersey retired in OKC....

Gary already says if they move then his jersey won't gtet retired cuz he won't let them. I want to see them move, then get a new team in Seattle(with the Sonics name), doub that happens but that what should happen.

 

[DJT]

Gary already says if they move then his jersey won't gtet retired cuz he won't let them. I want to see them move, then get a new team in Seattle(with the Sonics name), doub that happens but that what should happen.

I agree. I don't know, Bennet wants to leave the Sonics name their to. Hope he does.

 

[Mexi]

well this sucks
i know there's some die hard Sonic fan like I am to the Lakers
I really feel for those people. If my team left my city, i'd be so depressed

 

[DJT]

more news about this for those who care.

NBA owners approve Sonics' move, pending litigation

NBA Approves SuperSonics Move To Oklahoma CityNEW YORK -- The messy split between Seattle and the SuperSonics lurched forward Friday when NBA owners approved relocating the team to Oklahoma City -- a move legal wrangling might delay another two years.

"I'm giving this press conference in the face of a scorched earth policy," said NBA commissioner David Stern, who criticized civic leaders suing to force the team to stay until its lease expires in 2010.

He charged that their "strategy is to inflict as much harm on the Sonics in Seattle" to try to force a different outcome.

Owners voted 28-2 in favor of the move, with Dallas and Portland against it. The relocation carries a $30 million fee, and the Sonics could begin playing in owner Clay Bennett's hometown as early as next season.

All that is contingent on resolving the lawsuit filed by Seattle, which has rejected a $26 million settlement offer from Bennett.

Stern directed his ire at Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, who is helping with the suit.

First the owners backed the Sonics' move to Oklahoma City, then a defiant David Stern gave no hope of a lifeline to Seattle. Column

"I think that Sen. Gorton and the mayor are determined to exact whatever pound of flesh is possible here, and they will," Stern said. "And then the team will leave at the end of whatever period of time the court says it is required to stay for, and that will be it, period."

Stern said the league is prepared to play out the remaining two seasons in Seattle, but he cautioned that would mean a possible loss of $30 million a year for a team playing in front of reduced attendance.

"Right now, there's no speedy resolution on the horizon," Stern said. "There's a contested trial, a pretty hot atmosphere."

With the move, the Sonics would be the first NBA team to change cities since the Hornets went from Charlotte to New Orleans for the 2002-03 season.

That would delight one city.

"The vote further confirms that Oklahoma is in the big leagues and can compete with anyone," Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry said in a statement.

But before the team can compete in Oklahoma City, it must settle the issue of the lease. Seattle's lawsuit is set for trial on June 16.

This is a sad day for basketball fans across Washington state. The Sonics have a proud, storied 41-year history in Seattle. As a sports fan, I am very disappointed with today's action by the National Basketball Association owners.
-- Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire

"Step 1 is I am hopeful that we can re-establish communications and some sort of platform to have a meaningful, principled conversation," Bennett said. "We are certainly nowhere near that today."

When asked during a news conference later Friday in Seattle if he was expecting a new, richer offer from Bennett, Nickels said, "I don't really care."

"We're going to go into court in June," Nickels said. "We are going to protect the interests of the people of Seattle."

Though Stern insisted it wasn't personal, he repeatedly criticized Seattle officials.

"The presentation from Washington is, 'We're going to kill you,' " Stern said.

When asked about "the shots you took today" from Stern and Bennett, Nickels said to consider the source.

"We're in litigation, and the other side has got to say what they think they have to say to punch holes in our case," he said. "I think it shows they have a pretty weak case. We are focused on June, on winning that litigation and keeping the team here."

Bennett defended his efforts to try to keep the franchise there. E-mails between Bennett and his ownership partners released recently as part of the city's lawsuit appeared to show they planned to move the team to their hometown all along.

Stern said the other owners never "questioned the good faith of Clay Bennett," and Bennett said his words had been misinterpreted. When he wrote, "I am a man possessed! Will do everything we can," he meant he was determined to find a way for the Sonics to remain in the city, Bennett contended. He cited at least 30 trips to Seattle and "millions of dollars" spent as evidence of his commitment.

"I also want to express my regret to the citizens of Seattle and the fans of the Sonics that I was unsuccessful in bringing forth a new building," he said. "We tried the best we knew how to try and did what we knew how to do and did the best job I could."

Stern warned Seattle isn't likely to land another NBA team anytime soon for the same reason the Sonics are leaving: the ongoing reluctance of state and local officials to help pay for a replacement for outdated KeyArena. Stern dismissed the idea that a group led by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer would be able to find an arena solution and eventually purchase the team from Bennett to keep the Sonics in town.

Bennett is also facing a class-action lawsuit brought by season-ticket holders who say they were duped into buying tickets under the premise the Sonics wouldn't leave. And this week former team owner Howard Schultz announced plans to sue to get the team back, saying Bennett did not make a good-faith effort to secure a new arena deal as he promised when he bought the team in 2006.

The NBA's Sonics' move drew strong reaction from Washington's two U.S. senators, who asked the league to delay its vote.

Sen. Patty Murray says she is disappointed that NBA leaders ignored calls for good-faith efforts to keep the Sonics in Seattle and rewarded what she labeled "the bad-faith behavior" of Bennett.

Sen. Maria Cantwell says the Sonics have been part of the Seattle community and its culture for more than four decades. As an avid sports fan, Cantwell says she is dismayed to see the NBA rewarding such "unsportsmanlike conduct."

She says the Sonics ownership misrepresented their true intentions to the community.

Stern and Bennett said it had yet to be determined whether the franchise will carry the SuperSonics name, colors and history with it to Oklahoma City.

The rights to those could be a bargaining chip in Bennett's negotiations with the city, with Seattle possible retaining them for a future team. Stern suggested that calling the club Oklahoma, instead of Oklahoma City, might be desirable because it reflects the importance of other parts of the state such as Tulsa in the franchise's viability.

Of the two teams that voted against the move, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has previously expressed concerns about the market size, and it also happens that Oklahoma City is just 200 miles from Dallas. Stern said the Portland Trail Blazers, owned by Seattle software billionaire Paul Allen, didn't say why they voted the way they did.

Stern played down the fact that Oklahoma City is a much smaller market than Seattle.

"The judgment was that the prospect of continued further losses in Seattle without an adequate arena really rendered that discussion with no good answer other than the movement of the team to Oklahoma at this point," Stern said.

The potential move of the Sonics was not the only item on the board's agenda. Owners also voted to increase the revenue sharing pool from $40 million to $49 million, and sources told ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan that the league's competition committee will take up the issue of whether to change the current playoff format when it meets during the annual pre-draft camp in Orlando.

One source said there was not a groundswell of support for changing the playoff format. However, the owners feel it is time to start taking a closer look at alternate formats that would include Eastern Conference teams playing Western Conference teams in all rounds of the playoffs. If the competition committee decides to make a recommendation, it would be presented to the league's board of governors at its next meeting in late October.

Who else thinks Stern needs to go?

 

[Mexi]

new colors
new team name
like the Expos/Nationals in baseball

 

[Pugz]

more news about this for those who care.


Who else thinks Stern needs to go?

This may be Sterns 1st 2nd maybe 3rd stupidest choice(if he lets them keep the name and colors etc..), but he's been one of the if not the best president any sport has seen in this era. But the colors name and the Sonics history should stay in Seattle. And I think Stern will let them know that, also keep in mind that theres still a chance that the Sonics won't move.