The Billionaire Boys Club of Seattle has convened, and decided they don’t want the Sonics to move and last week put on the table what figures to be at least $500 million to make their point.
So why does it appear that Microsoft chairman Steve Ballmer, Costco chairman Jim Sinegal, Western Wireless co-founder John Stanton and Seattle downtown developer Matt Griffin and the revival of the Seattle Center in the process are inconsequential with this magnanimous gift?
There are a number of reasons, ranging from what could be a personal vendetta from NBA commissioner David Stern after being shot down by Washington politicians in 2005, to lame and short-sighted politics in the city and the state.
It could be both.
Either way, a lawsuit by the city preventing a buyout of the final two years of the KeyArena lease that goes to trial in June may end up being the only reason the team stays in Seattle two more seasons before bolting to Oklahoma City in 2010. And unless something changes in a hurry, that move would be the worst injustice of a professional franchise moving since the Browns moved from Cleveland to Baltimore in 1996.
But the difference is only Browns owner Art Modell was the villain in that case, and Cleveland was almost immediately promised an expansion team to fill the void and retain the name, colors and history. Seattle has just the opposite with the attitude Stern has taken.
The list of villains here begins with Stern, and his relationship with former owner and Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz, who never gave local ownership a chance in 2006; and ultimately Oklahoma City billionaire Clay Bennett, another Stern crony who overpaid for the team just to put OKC on the map. Keep in mind Stanton, who owned 20 percent of the team in Schultz’s bloated group, wanted in with the new ownership, but Bennett nixed it, wanting only Oklahoma City ownership.
Even worse, Bennett refused to discuss a remodel of KeyArena, and when it was apparent the politicians wouldn’t give him land and build him the Taj Mahal on Lake Washington for $500 million, he applied to move to Oklahoma City.
Now everyone is raving about the $121 million promise of a remodel to the Oklahoma City Arena, but the proposed $300 million to KeyArena isn’t worth a look? Does it not matter that Seattle is the 12th largest media market in the country, has a 41-year history supporting the Sonics and Oklahoma City is the 45th largest market?
This smells fishier than the salmon toss at Pike Place Market
Making matters worse, despite lucking into the second pick of the lottery to draft college player of the year Kevin Durant, Bennett ordered a stripping of the franchise to save money and rebuild. They pushed out most of the people in the organization pre-Bennett, and they have a virtual lock on the worst record since their inception in 1967. All of these transactions look more like a transparent attempt to chase fans away to justify the move every day.
Meanwhile, Stern has spent the past 18 months bashing Seattle every chance he gets despite the list of failing franchises from the most recent moves (see Vancouver to Memphis, Charlotte to New Orleans and a Charlotte expansion franchise). In case he hasn’t noticed, the NBA franchise model is broken and it is becoming apparent that most owners lose money until they sell the franchise. When the San Antonio Spurs ownership group contends they can’t afford to continue without a new building when they sell out virtually every game and annually go deep into the playoffs, then something is seriously wrong.
Consequently, these actions reek of a setup -- dating back to when Stern and Schultz went to Olympia to plead their case for a new building in 2005 and came away empty-handed. Never mind the $200 million-plus offer for a remodel at the time. The biggest problem the ownership has had all along has been a bad lease and a deteriorating team under Schultz’s watch and Wally Walker’s basketball guidance. A remodel, a new lease and a different ownership group to reconstruct the team has always been the easy answer once it was apparent Schultz was a phony with his "five years to a title" and "public trust" promises in 2001 when he bought the team with 57 partners. In the process, Schultz and Walker had alienated the entire basketball community.
After the rebuff, Stern didn’t just get mad, he wanted to get even.
Consequently, instead of offering up the team to local ownership – obviously there is no lack of money or interest in the Seattle area - Stern began working in the backroom to find Schultz a buyer. San Jose was the initial target and Oracle software billionaire Larry Ellison, but it was too close for comfort to the Warriors in Oakland. Instead, he came up with Bennett, a former minority owner of the Spurs and a key contributor to the success Oklahoma City had hosting the Hornets for two seasons in the wake of Hurricane Katrina chasing them from New Orleans. And just for the generosity of offering him the team, Bennett overpaid Schultz with $350 million for a team valued at more than $100 million less that required a lot of work.
In Stern’s eyes that allowed for Bennett’s over-the-top demands to the Seattle market as a precursor to move. Worse yet, Bennett began a continuous string of alienating media faux pas, including his partner Aubrey McClendon admitting to a business newspaper that they always planned on moving the club to OKC anyway. McClendon was fined by the NBA. Bennett attempted to buy out the final two years of the lease to no avail and sued the city. Seattle countersued, and now the Sonics and Seattle have a court date in June to decide whether or not they can leave next season.
So that brought us to this week and Ballmer’s group offering the city and state the $150 million gift (plus at least $350 million to buy back the team with initial phone calls to Bennett already made). Washington governor Christine Gregoire met the offer with open arms, but refused to give traction to a special session or a push to the legislature which ends its session Thursday.
Now the offer is sitting in limbo, even though the city council has signed off on its $75 million portion of the tab, and the state’s portion would only require the continuation of a hotel, rental car and restaurant tax that is already scheduled to run through 2016. It’s been simplified so much by the gift of cash, even the political naysayers say they are on board. They just don’t want to take to the time to officially sign off on it now. That poses a problem since the NBA relocation committee goes to Oklahoma City on March 25 and the Board of Governors will vote on the move three weeks later. This is no time to dawdle.
Saturday, hundreds of Sonics fans descended upon the state capitol in Olympia urging the legislature to approve the offer. It’s time for the politicians to wake up and realize this is not only good for the Sonics, but the renovation of the sad state of the Seattle Center property around the iconic Space Needle. Immediate approval would perhaps create a circumstance that stops the NBA’s Board of Governors dead in their tracks before rubber-stamping yet another bad move. That doesn’t guarantee Bennett will sell in lieu of losing millions of dollars should he be forced to stay two more years. It is a start, however.
That way, if the NBA wants Oklahoma City to have a team so badly, they can give them one on their own accord with expansion -- just leave the Sonics alone.
I've never been to Seattle and don't care about the Sonics, but here's hoping Stern and his bunch of cronies get another comeuppance because you're right - the whole thing stinks....
I wish all you Sonics fans will stop crying. The team was bought by someone who wishes to move it. Even if the state and every person living within a 1000 miles from Seattle wanted to pitch in $1 to buy the team back. Bennett has stated that the team is not for sale. I have several friends who attend every home game and they state that attendance has been dwindling for years. Just let them go and support the professional teams you have.
Bennett was never going to keep the team here. It was painfully obvious when he first bought the Sonics, when the star players were traded for peanuts, now he wants out of the lease.GET YOUR OWN TEAM!! Gregoire needs to pull her head out with a quickness and get this rolling or Seattle won't have a team, or my tourism dollars.
Golfer-
That's the spirit! "Just roll over and give up". Go watch football or the worst baseball team in MLB. I go to games at the Key, and they may not be sold out every night, but the expensive seats are filled, and the nose-bleed seats are mostly. I'm not crying, I'm pissed at big money and cronyism and governmental ineptitude winning the day once again.
Representative Frank Chopp (leading opposition to arena)
E-mail: chopp.frank@leg.wa.gov
(360) 786-7920
(206) 729-3223
Toll-free Hotline: 1-800-562-6000
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels
(206) 684-4000
E-mail: http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/citize n_response.htm
Commissioner David Stern
Phone#: 212-407-8300
Attention Commissioner Stern
NBA
Olympic Tower
645 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Cantwell, Maria- (D - WA) Class I
511 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3441
Web Form: cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.h tml
Murray, Patty- (D - WA) Class III
173 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2621
Web Form: murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm
Last edited by nba is the worst on March 10th at 1:16 PM.
It's great to have all the events about this in one place. Good job, Mike.
Just this month voters in Oklahoma City passed a 1 percent sales tax increase to fund $121 million in improvements to the $92 million Ford Arena. Cleverly, citizens won't feel the increase because a 1% sales tax for something else (MAPS for Kids) was due to expire in 2008, so the net result is taxes stay the same for them.
So, Clay Bennett gets $121 million of public money to help his business in OK, which is fishy since he demanded $400 million of Olympia (Washington) last year. Also, Bennett refused the possibility of a $200 million renovation of Key Arena, and the gift of land offered by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.
Meanwhile, Clay Bennett moved every veteran star player the Sonics had out of town, while keeping promising young players, assuring that the Sonics would TANK this year, and yet be fine later when the gets the Sonics to Oklahoma City.
Clay Bennett is slimier than a used condom.
And who says Oklahoma City fans will embrace the Sonics? Their hearts right now belong to the Hornets, who, even though they are having an amazing season, are having a hard time selling out in New Orleans.
What could David Stern be thinking?
There appears to be something going on that we are not being told about.
golfer43....you obviously are not a true sports fan. Don't know where you are from...dont care. if a sports franchise in your city that you are a fan of is on the verge of moving, you'd speak up too. then again where you come from, sounds like there are only golf courses and nothing else.
quickie11....I'm sorry does your name indicate that you have ejaculation problems????
I am from OKLAHOMA CITY!! I don't like basketball and could care less if the Sonics come to Oklahoma or not. My point is that if a legal owner of a sports team or company(which is exactly what a professional sports team is) wants to move them, it is his right.
It is kinda funny that the fans finally decide to speak up. If the fan base was so strong in the past the team would have never been sold in the first place.
Terrific article. You caught almost every nuance of this situation from the ineptness of Schultz and Walker to the sleazy back room dealings of Bennett and Stern.
And Golfer43, one of the reasons there was not as much outcry in the beginning is we took Liar Clay at his word. As it has become apparent, and more so each day, that he lied, lied, and then lied again it has steeled our resolve.
Make no mistake, his legal right to run his own business will be totally undone by his collusion with Stern and his public dishonesty. Many people spent countless hours and dollars based on his dishonest statements. He will be tied up in court for many years no matter how this turns out.
You should be ashamed of supporting such a sleaze.
You don't seem to get it ... at all. The previous ownership group had an offer of more than $200 million to update KeyArena, and Mr. Coffee turned up his nose to that, as did David Stern.
People here love Key Arena - it has perhaps the best sitelines in the NBA, but it needs a bigger footprint for the concourses and restaurants etc.
That's what the upgrade is for. Schultz and Wally
Walker also made continuously bad personnel decisions and since they bought the team in 2001, it's the worst record since the inception of the franchise in 2001. Of course that's affected attendance.
Then they turned around and sold it without putting it up for sale in a manner that locals could make offers. It was done in the backroom. It was all very unseemly. That's why people are so upset. This was the first professional franchise in the Pacific Northwest and the roots are very deep.
And because the league has played a role in ripping it away, there is a lot of anger among the loyalists. Unfortunately, politicians are getting in the way.
That's the reality. This deal with Bennett never should have happened the way it did. Thanks for your input, however misdirected it may be. He never intended to stay and Stern knew it.
Why is it hard for people to see that David Stern and Bennett never planned on keeping the sonics in seattle? Can we start two or three years ago when we redid the key arena to the plans Stern recommended. We approved the Key Arena (as tax payers) to be remodeled and we got David Stern and committe to help plan how the Key Arena can be better. What happened now its not good enough? Dude they were your teams plans that redid the Key Arena. If it isn't good enough then that blame should go on yourself you can't blame just us for this. Well I'm glad all the facts are coming out.... oh wait thats right they never will. Get your money Stern as you don't care about Bball, He has no love for the game and that will never change. He sold his soul to the devil for riches and you can see that. Lets see where NBA is the next 5 years with Stern as commish.
Seattle blew their chance to build an arena with previous ownership and now again with current ownership. Now that it seems a move to OKC is getting close we see these people coming to try and come up with a half baked plan. Seattle doesn't own this team,Bennett & Partners do,so they have every right not to sell and move the team if they wish. Someone from Seattle should have bought the team in the 1st place if they wanted to keep them. This latest plan is too little too late and there is nothing in it for current ownership. BTW,they have lost millions already playing in that dump they call Key. I vote for moving the team if that's what ownership wants.
I hate to say it, but you are embarrassing yourself by commenting on an article you obviously did not read.
No one from Seattle was given a chance to buy the team; it was never put up for sale. The former owner just cut a back room deal with OKC's "Bennett & Partners."
Go back and read the article, and read the comments as well. I'm sure you'll feel differently.
Move the team out of Seattle to another viable market. Then expand the league another two teams again. Perhaps a Northwest expansion with Seattle and Vancouver getting franchises. Perhaps Seattle and Vegas? There are a host of options here that are none to difficult. If moving the Sonics out is viable, let it happen and bring another one back with a better ownership and a better stadium. The only negative of this argument of this is that Sonics history in seattle will be lost. Sad, but acceptable for a better and bigger NBA.
Schultz had the team up for sale for quite some time. You can try as you may to scew the facts but the sad fact is,NO ONE from Seattle stepped up to buy the team. Why? Because of the terrible lease and arena. Bennett took a big gamble by buying this team.He spent untold millions developing an arena plan and he wasn't even givin the time of day. He wanted to build a world class arena and a future NHL team. But the City didn't want this because it would have taken the team away from Seattle and moved to a burb.
Bennett was treated very badly from day one by the press. He made an honest effort to get something done,spent millions on it, and was still treated like ####. He gave Seattle a deadline of 1 year to get something done when he bought the team. Seattle did nothing. Bennett has to do what's best for his & his partners investment and if that's moving the team then so be it.
I read the article and some of the facts are scewed to make Bennett look like the bad guy. This is obviously a biased article and it's not worth any more of my time.
One more thing. Why is there no out cry ripping the City of Seattle. That should be the place to direct your anger because they wouldn't work with the previous owners to get something done.
Bennett owns the sonics not Seattle. If he wants to move his team he has every right in the world just like any other business.
First of all ... NBA is the worst: thanks for the contacts so everyone can see them - I didn't feel obliged to do that. And sorry if I confused you - this whole story is so close to me - I was a beat writer for nearly 10 years and have probably been to 1,000 Sonics games since moving here in 1986.
Secondly King Kong, the whole point is the team was never officially up for sale. Every time Schutlz was asked about it publicly, he denied it was for sale. If you don't know the facts, don't argue. Also, there is no doubt Bennett was given a blueprint of how to get out of here. When Schultz and Stern turned up their nose at the $200 million remodel, it was obvious Bennett wouldn't listen.
Consequently, Stern told him to ask for the moon and worst case scenario, he would get it. Then he'd have to stay, sell it and would get another franchise for OKC. If you don't believe that it was all preconceived, then you're just naive. Thanks,
Kahn
Last edited by Kahn_Games on March 10th at 11:14 AM.
You could be right; all I know is what I read and I have not read what you have said until you just said it.
But what you are not addressing is how unreasonable Bennett's demands of Seattle and Washington were, and how Bennett is satisfied with 1/3 of that from Oklahoma City.
You also don't address the fact that Bennett's partner, Aubrey McClendon, admitted that the ownership group always planned on moving the club to OKC, and was fined by the NBA for disclosing that.
In short, the evidence we fans can access supports Kahn's view, not yours.
See picture of David Stern putting medal around Clay Bennet's neck for the Oklahoma Hall of Fame(?)
... Whatever the heck that means. The whole thing stinks. Both Bennett and Stern are bold face liars that have worked in tandem to hijack a franchise that has been in the city for 40 years. For all you haters saying the fans don't show up or don't care, check out the Miami Heat's attendance drop in only 2 years since a championship. Oklahoma may get two or three years out of their new novelty but then will flounder like other small market teams (Charlotte, Memphis, N.O) Besides, Oklahoma is best known for tornados, flat barren land and covered wagons taking pioneers to the West Coast. If the NBA can't make it in a top tier city like Seattle, this should scream 'trouble' for Stern and his reach around boy, Bennett.
Don't worry Seattle. OKC will probably get a new name for the team. Seattle will end up getting the Hornets from New Orleans and can rename them the Supersonics.
I feel bad that the Sonics are going to loose their team. I am a die hard Jazz fan and would probably commit suicide if they left SLC. I cant imagine how Sonics fans are feeling right now.
OKC will love having a NBA team there. They were a great host city for the Hornets. Clay Bennet will be a great owner. He is a smart man that capitalized on an opportunity to buy a franchise that was for sale and move it to a place that needs a pro sports team. It was foolish that the Sonics let this hapen to them.
I've already weighed in on this, of course, with my post on the subject. Nonetheless, would like to thank you for your take on it. I, personally, think that there is a lot more to this than we are being told (but which is likely to come out in court), and we may be surprised at just how much. Thanks again for the informative post.
Does anyone remember 2004? Didn't "the boys" force "Mr. Sonic" (Nate MacMillan) to leave town? How does that happen after taking a bunch of nobodies to six games against the Spurs? I wonder if Callabero is moving to OKC? Just can't see it.
BTW....I love all the comments from people outside of Seattle who have no clue whats been occurring speaking as if they are the voice of reason and then turning around and using 3rd grade insults when challenged, logically, on their comments. Don't call me names because you have no facts to base your arguments on. I challenge anyone out there to provide me with facts that refute what this article is stating..... Anyone?
Last edited by Squatch2008 on March 10th at 12:06 PM.
Golfer,
Your point that Bennet own the team and can do what ever he wants because he is a private business is somewhat flawed. Because of the way professional sports are these days, the public does have a financial stake in the team that is in their city. They are asked to shell out millions of dollars to essentially give to these teams with the understanding that they will be around. What other private business is able to do that. You don't see microsoft asking for taxpayers to pay for all of their facilities. That is why they make the team sign a lease, so they can assure that the pulblics investment into the team is not useless. Additionally, the ownership and the NBA's sy that their biggest problem with key arena is the lease. Well, guess what, in 2010 the lease is up and they can renegotiate it. And the legislature already said back in 2005 that they would be willing to put 200 million into it.
Also, Mike, thank you for writing a great article.
Dallas4life.....I seem to remember Dallas having a problem with attendance when you had Jim Jackson, Mashburn and and someone else, what was his name???? Oh, Yeah.....Jason Kidd. Don't sit on your high horse because your team is competitive and act as if a few hundred isn't significant. For one thing it wasn't publicized well.
Here's a thought... Why doesnt't Clay Bennet Seel the team and get his Expansion Team in Oklahoma City? Or Why doesn't he do the whole "Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens" deal? In fact, if the NBA is worried about having odd teams, i know a city in Pennsyvania that is getting a new arena and it's name rymes with "Mittsburgh"
Mike great job especially with the follow up. The blatantly dishonest Bennett and Stern need to be exposed.
And for those of you who feel a private company can always do what they wish, remember Enron and now Countrywide Home Loans. Once you enter the public realm and deceive people it becomes a legal matter. Liar Clay and Dishonest Dave have some serious problems on their hands.
There is a clear way to please both sides of this issue. Bennett can sell to the Seattle consortium and buy the Grizzlies to move to OKC. Grizzlies are up for sale, and have no long history.
ALL YOU FANS OF OTHER TEAMS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THIS SCENARIO IF ALLOWED TO TAKE PLACE COULD HAPPEN TO YOUR TEAM!!!
TAKE THE TIME TO EMAIL THE CONTACTS ABOVE, THE TEAM YOU SAVE IN SEATTLE MIGHT SAVE YOUR OWN DOWN THE LINE!!!
I dont have anything against OKC, and understand that they want and may even deserve an NBA team. But not like this, nothing about this situation will turn out good if the Supes are allowed to leave. The NBA is broken, somebody find a new, younger, more dynamic commissioner that can fix it.
Regarding the move of another team, there are issues. Hornets owner George Shinn is trying to renegotiate his lease for 10 more years with no buyout, and the Grizzlies are locked in at the FedEx Center in Memphis for 10 more years after this one as well - regardless of who owns the team. The same goes for Charlotte.
And that's why it is so important for Seattle to get this arena deal passed immediately. Otherwise, there is no guarantee another team will be available or find the best deal in Seattle. It just isn't that easy to get another team unless David Stern is in your corner - and clearly that corner is not in the Pacific Northwest.
NBA is engaging in irresponsible economics. All the moves in previous years have been to weaker markets.
It's similar to what the NHL did in the past moving teams down south. How did it work out for the NHL eh?
At least the NHL was misguided in that regard, they tried to move to cities with big populations but ended up with very few hockey fans. At least their reasoning was more sound than the NBA....
NBA is simply moving to smaller cities with no logic behind it. There was one article that stated since the expansion with the Charlotte Hornets to the expansion of the Charlotte Bobcats, the net total for the combined market population is now 5.3 million less......
They must be making a ton off Lebron and Kobe.
Anyway to all those that think the NBA is like any other business is dead wrong.
The NBA operates under an anti-trust exemption and all owners are subjected to it. If that fishy smell in Seattle, WA continues, perhaps it's time to review whether the NBA should keep it.......
Be a great thing for Lebron, he could demand 5 YEARS ONE BILLION DOLLARS
Amen, Brother Mike. I have been a Sonics fan since I was old enough to understand basketball, and saw them play in the finals in person in '78, '79 and '95. I used to be a season ticket holder, but now go to about 10 games a year (not because of Schultz/Walker or that #### Bennett per se, but because it's hard to make 41 games a year when you have young children.)
I love this team, thick and thin. I think it's curious that people chastise Seattle for being a fairweather city, yet we are getting crowds of 14,000+ a night for a team Bennett has purposefully gutted to be terrible and is a lame-duck franchise at that. That does not add up. And, as much as you might blame Seattle or the State of Washington for this (and don't get me wrong, they deserve a chunk of the blame), Bennett and his group, with the help of that punk David Stern, never gave them a chance demanding $400 Mil. for that palace in Renton vs. a much more palatable $100 mil. tune up for that barn in OKC. Key Arena is already a nice venue; the $ local ownership is talking about pumping into it would make it the nicest arena in the league. I hope Seattle does win in court and forces Clay to stay until 2010. Maybe then he'll realize selling out and finding another team to hijack is best. Even David Stern is sweating about this prospect - while attending a Blazers game at the Rose Garden in Portland last week, he made a thinly-veiled threat stating that if our government push ahead with the lawsuit making Clay stay in his lease, that the prospects of us ever getting another team are bleak.
Really, David? Move the team from a wealthy market where there are more millionaires and billionaires per capita than anywhere else in the U.S., to a market where the average income is at poverty level? You think they can pay the salaries of NBA players by forking out $75-$600+ a night 41x a year for tickets, concessions and parking? I don't. Pull your head out of your fat ####before you show us that you are even a bigger #### than we already know you are.
Last edited by G-Money-Mike on March 10th at 1:58 PM.
obviously you have no idea what you are talking about.
1. Bennet didn't want to partner in building a world class facility, he wanted it built for him with almost zero cash investment by him.
2. Moving to the burbs had nothing to do with it, local indian tribe offered FREE land in Auburn, WA just 25 minutes south of Seattle. Bennet was the one wo said no to that.
3. he was offered at least a $200 million remodel to Key arena. More money and a better arena to start than the Ford center, and again he said no.
Come clean Kong, you are obviously biased for some reason, are you on the bennet payroll?
This is one of the reasons I am becoming more and more disenfranchised with pro sports every day. I was a Ram fan for over 20 years, but who cares? LA still doesn't have a pro football team, and it's the largest media prize there is. Indianapolis Colts? I'm sorry, but to me they're still the Baltimore colts. What gets me is Billionaire owners hold the taxpayers hostage with what amountss to no more than a hobby to them. I'm a college and High School fan now, they aren't going anywhere. USC will be in Southern Cal till it falls into the ocean. I live in Fort Worth and if you want to see a good game go to a HS "Friday Night Lights" game and you're likely to see the next Ladanian Tomlinson. Don't get me wrong, I still like pro sports, but I'm fed up with the moving, strip clubs, dog fighting, drug arrests, Prima Donna WR's that only give their best effort when they feel like it (don't tell me Randy Moss wasn't dogging it in Oakland after the year he had last year).
Just to update everybody, news broke that Steve Ballmer, the primary contributor to the $150M gift to Seattle, sent a letter to Washington governor Christine Gregoire with a deadline of April 10 to accept the offer and agree to the terms to remodel KeyArena. Otherwise, the gift off the table.
That is one week before the Board of Governors convenes to vote on the move from Seattle to Oklahoma City.
Keep in mind, the deal is contingent on local ownership since Clay Bennett has rejected any offers to remodel KeyArena.
This was a great move by Ballmer to smack those inert politicians in the face. Hope it works.
Seattle is the gem of the West Coast. A major port city, clean, beautiful, thriving economy, minutes from boating or snow skiing. Unbelievable arts, culture, food. More educated than anyplace in the nation. The SuperSonics are part of this and more. Our oldest sports franchise, and the only one with a Championship. They don't belong in that desolate midwest hell-hole trailerpark, they belong here. Steal another team, you toothless, uneducated hillbillies.
Making matters worse, despite lucking into the second pick of the lottery to draft college player of the year Kevin Durant, Bennett ordered a stripping of the franchise to save money and rebuild. They pushed out most of the people in the organization pre-Bennett, and they have a virtual lock on the worst record since their inception in 1967. All of these transactions look more like a transparent attempt to chase fans away to justify the move every day.
