Comments on: Seattle officials are moving on bringing an NBA team back to Seattle by fall. And the Kings are being discussed.

By: cecishero22

cecishero22 — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 18:08:02 +0000

Don’t forget the ravens did not get to keep the history from the browns, it will be very unfortunate if OCT get to have two names and history they never performed.. What is the good in letting them keep Seattles basketball name?!!

By: okcfan

okcfan — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:33:42 +0000

Why hate on Clay Bennett? I just watched the film Sonicgate, and looks to me like if you want to blame anyone for the Sonics moving, you should blame, the citizens of Washington, the politicians of the state of Washington, King County, and the city of Seattle. Washington state approved money for the NFL and MLB, but when the NBA says we need to upgrade Key Arena of build a new arena, they were shot down, even when Howard Schutlz owned the team. Bennett told everyone from the start that the team would stay in Seattle if there was a viable arena situated, if not he would move the team. Why blame a businessman for wanting to make a profit on his investment? Bennett even agreed to pay $30 million dollars more to Seattle if the state of Washington would approve a bill to rectify the arena situation five years after the team left Seattle…..the Washington Senate didn’t even put it to vote.
Now Seattle wants a team, any team, from any city, they don’t where it comes from. So I guess it’s ok to take a team from somewhere else, but don’t you dare take anything from Seattle. The state of Washington has more millionaires then anywhere else….where we these people when the team was for sale….Get Over It!
THUNDER UP!!!

By: gmsalpha

gmsalpha — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:44:20 +0000

A city can lose a team and then years later get one again and restore the team name, colors, etc. It depends on whether or not the team that leaves keeps the identity of the old franchise or goes forward with their own.

If you ever stopped to wonder why the heck they’re the Utah Jazz when there’s not a whole lot of jazz in Salt Lake City, it’s because they kept the name from when they were in New Orleans. If you ever wondered why they’re called the Los Angeles Lakers when there aren’t a whole lot of lakes in L.A, it’s because they moved from Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes.

Then again, the Cleveland Browns became the Baltimore Ravens and not the Baltimore Browns, so when Cleveland got a new franchise, the Browns were available. Had the Baltimore Colts become the Indianapolis Brickyards, the old Cleveland Browns could have moved to Baltimore as the Baltimore Colts.

Just sayin

By: AlohaMrHand

AlohaMrHand — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:37:22 +0000

doesn’t Safeco have a retractable roof?Couldnt they closethe roof and set up a court and play there until the new arena is built?

By: echech88

echech88 — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:58:21 +0000

Anaheim is not building a new arena. They are updating the Honda Center with the owner’s money

By: law1orde

law1orde — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:39 +0000

No way, OKC needs to be playing Seattle in the Northwest Division. It would be a blood rivalry. If Seattle ever decides you can’t play in the NBA for free and helps build a decent facility instead of trying to foist off the old Key Center on the NBA it might happen, but I doubt it. Seattle is too cheap.

By: law1orde

law1orde — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:34:45 +0000

I do hope Seattle gets an NBA and NHL franchise but Christopher Hansen will have to be able to build a 25,000 seat arena out of his back pocket in order for that to happen.

By: law1orde

law1orde — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:30:08 +0000

OKC isn’t having any trouble signing all it’s key players to long term deals. They seem to like living in OKC.

By: law1orde

law1orde — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:25:32 +0000

New Orleans won’t come to play at Key Arena. It’s too old and small. Seattle is too financially strapped to build an arena or to send enough fans to attend the games. I don’t think Seattle can get there from here. Unfortunately you have to pay to play.

By: law1orde

law1orde — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:19:36 +0000

To have the NHL and the NBA you have to pony up Seattle. Why do you think you lost the Sonics? Everybody else pays their way.

By: tcclark

tcclark — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:59:20 +0000

oh and then they could switch them and OKC so OKC isn’t playing in the north west division anymore

By: tcclark

tcclark — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:58:34 +0000

The Hornets make the most sense for a lot of reasons. One, they already don’t have an owner. Two, they don’t have a major superstar that Hornets fans will cling too (Eric Gordon hasn’t played much in a hornets uni). And three, they don’t have a long, rich history like the Kings do. What makes me most angry about the Sonics’ move was that Clay Bennett has the rights to the history of the Sonics (the banners, etc). Seattle wouldn’t be stealing much from New Orleans. They didn’t have a rich history in Charlotte, and they’ve done nothing in New Orleans. Please move them to Seattle. I want the Sonics back!

By: Matt Tucker

Matt Tucker — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:21:32 +0000

Nevermind the fact that the city had just done an upgrade/overhaul of KeyArena not even a decade prior per SterNBA “suggestion” and was still paying that off.

By: Matt Tucker

Matt Tucker — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:17:53 +0000

If you can nail an agreement to get a team while they’re building an arena, why wait? The Key (or whatever the name will be once they find someone to purchase the naming rights) is suitable for a season. It’s just not sustainable (still kind of a joke) for the long-term in the current SterNBA. I’d much rather get a firm commit on a team AND an arena at the same time rather than launch into an arena and have to wait another 5 years before a team materializes.

By: Matt Tucker

Matt Tucker — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:12:34 +0000

Better believe if Seattle gets a team back, it’ll be the Sonics. Part of the settlement between the city and the NBA was the right to keep the name, colors, and history of the team in the city. (Why they ever agreed to share the history with OKC is beyond me, though.) So when this happens – whichever team it is that sadly has to be uprooted – the Green and Gold will be back!

By: goforthanddie

goforthanddie — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:12:32 +0000

Funny, Seattle had every chance to keep the Sonics, but bet the team wouldn’t move. Seattle had years to put together a new arena, they didn’t bother, they lost. Put the blame where it belongs.

By: jalek

jalek — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:35:37 +0000

Why would the city do anything like that, just to let Bennett use his relocation committee chair position to block any move so a newer arena can be empty?

By: okcallday

okcallday — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:02:22 +0000

Except for the part where it’s in oklahoma.

By: willardj

willardj — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:27:16 +0000

It’s more drizzling in Seattle. It’s not a lot of heavy rainfall, which is why Miami gets more total inches in rain even though it rains more in Seattle.

By: emeraldcityfan

emeraldcityfan — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:04:37 +0000

Clay Bennett is a douche. And a liar. At the same time a lot of blame for losing the Sonics should be shouldered by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. He was the one who sold them to that trash in the first place. I hope we don’t have to steal someone else’s team to get basketball back here. We would be no better than the carpetbaggers that stole or team in the first place.

By: halfcourthero

halfcourthero — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:19:07 +0000

NOLA hornets here we come… Let’s go hornets, I mean sonics lol

By: farvite

farvite — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:18:18 +0000

OKC > Seattle?

Fan support, maybe. But inferior in every other way. Especially in the most important category…. $$$$$$$

Stern was a fool to allow the Sonics, and I’m somewhat ashamed that we will be taking him back in the future.

By: blueintown

blueintown — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:07:15 +0000

Sidenote: wasn’t trying to be a d%&k, just thought it was interesting.

By: blueintown

blueintown — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:03:51 +0000

Miami’s average annual rainfall totals are higher then Seattle.

By: deebo92

deebo92 — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:02:14 +0000

First comment ever on probballtalk, this would be awesome! I hated seeing them leave Seattle. They have a great fan base who got shafted.

By: ramblingalb

ramblingalb — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:34:33 +0000

Seattle did not have an NBA arena, nor any plan to build one. They ignored the facts, and lost their team. The move was justified and OKC is better in every way.

By: jmclarkent

jmclarkent — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:44:30 +0000

I’d love to see the following improbable scenario:

- Owner purchases the Hornets, move them to Seattle, they are assimilated into the “Sonics”.
- MJ is given back the name and colors of the “Charlotte Hornets”.
- We all pretend like the “Charlotte Bobcats” never happened.

By: khuxford

khuxford — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:32:16 +0000

I love how you can make the definitive statement that Kings fans supported Sonics fans when they lost their team. How’d we come up with that notion? Comment sections?

By: AlohaMrHand

AlohaMrHand — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:27:48 +0000

Why not the Hornets?They don’t have an owner and I’m not sure what the terms of the lease are at their arena but that would make the most sense.

By: tomshoe

tomshoe — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:20:23 +0000

Hellooooooooooo people. The Hornets are sitting right there, without an owner, Stern doing whatever it takes just to get some poor sap to buy them.

I doubt the Kings are going to move to Seattle because the city of Anaheim is discussing putting in a new arena, and if that passes, they’re not going anywhere. Besides, they’re still a young team with lots of promise, even if they are chuckers. And they have Jimmer too, although he’s been less than great.

Just take the Hornets or the Pistons. If you take a look at the Pistons attendance, it’s averaging about 12,700 people per game. The Palace of Auburn Hills seats 22,000. That’s just not enough fan support, even if the team is bad. In my opinion, if the people of a city aren’t willing to support their local team, even through the worst of times, maybe they don’t deserve them.