Sonics/Storm sold to Oklahoma City

[DrHibbert]

:wall:

[Drunkenmaster]

YEAH! Now they can leave my Hornets alone! :D

[Drunkenmaster]

Well, I should say that maybe that will keep my Hornets safe. Supposedly, the new owners want to keep the team in Seattle but when the Hornets return to New Orleans in '08 the Sonics may be on the move as they are only guarunteed to stay one year in Seattle. To read into this a bit, the Hornets return after next season then the Sonics probably move to Oklah City.

[DrHibbert]

Yeah, I've been following. The press conference they gave earlier was such a bullshit session. Clay Bennett is a lying sack of shit, same goes for Howard Schultz. Bennett obviously wants to take the Sonics to Oklahoma City, despite what he says. I wouldn't mind as much if he was honest about it, but he's giving everyone lip service, "oh we'd love to keep the team in Seattle," even though for years he's been vocally committed to getting an NBA team in OK City. I've never seen people tell more lies in a press conference. You could tell the media wasn't buying it for a second.

Same thing with Schultz - I wouldn't mind so much if he just said he's a business man and he wants to make the most money he can. I could understand that. But he's acting like he wants to do the best thing for Seattle, that by selling to these guys he was giving up all this money and think they'll keep the team in Seattle.

To quote Seattle radio, only a 5-year old would buy this bullshit. The Sonics are going to okc. This makes me so sick.

[Peter]

the sonics aren't popular in seattle anymore, even when they're doing good. it's not a basketball town

[i]

I find it odd that NBA franchises are still prone to uprooting and leaving. Esp a team like the Sonics.
I also found it odd how the Hornets moved to New Orleans and then the Bobcats came along. Also, bobcats = bad name for a name!

[DrHibbert]

Seattle is a basketball town and always has been. HS and college basketball are flourishing. Sonics' fans have been jerked around by the ownership so much in the last decade that you can't blame them for not showing up. Spending $35m on Jim McIlvane (no one could figure that out) and then on Vin Baker, then trading Gary Payton, losing Nate McMillan to the Portland Trailblazers - all direct results of owner idiocy. And that's not even mentioning the pissing match they've had with the city.

I'm sorry the Hornets moved to New Orleans, but this is a completely different situation. The Sonics are a franchise that has been in Seattle for 40 years and won an NBA championship, the only major professional team in Seattle ever to do so (Storm as well). The Hornets had very little support and very little history. I liked the Hornets when they were in Charlotte, though. I grew up a Sonics fan, and this makes me sick.

[Drunkenmaster]

The Hornets moved to New Orleans because their owner is an ass hole. I'm happy to have the Hornets, though (assuming they return someday)

[Drunkenmaster]

You have to think of the NBA as Cuba and David Stern as Castro. He runs everything and make no mistake, if he really doesn't want something to happen it won't.

[DrHibbert]

I can't see the Sonics not moving to OK City now. Bennett wants them there. It would have to be a miracle offer from the city, i.e. brand new stadium funded by taxpayers with the owners putting up nothing. Anything short of that and Bennett will find a way to pry them away from Seattle.

[i]

I remember Jim McIlvane. That was a lot of wasted dough. Mightas well have signed Yinka Dare (RIP).

Yeah the Sonics, to me, have always been one of THE big teams in the NBA because of their history (even if they haven't done so well in recent years). Lakers, Celtics, Bulls, Sonics, Pistons, Knicks, Suns, Jazz... that kinda league.

[Drunkenmaster]

I forsee the Sonics moving to Oklahoma and eventually the Hornets moving to Seattle. I just don't think New Orleans will come bag big enough to support 2 major league franchises. If it's between the NFL and the NBA, well, thanks for stopping by Hornets.

[mr. dynamite]

not the STORM!!!