With the drama that seems to surround the Los Angeles Lakers on a daily basis with regard to the possible trade of superstar Kobe Bryant now temporarily on hold, the biggest news out of the National Basketball Association is the proposed relocation of the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City by team owner Clay Bennett.
Bennett bought the team on July 18, 2006 from a local group—the Basketball Club of Seattle—which is headed by Starbucks Coffee chairman Howard Schultz. Bennett, who is an Oklahoma City businessman, also owns the WNBA’s Seattle storm.
Bennett got the team after the previous ownership and the city of Seattle could not resolve the matter of renovating Key Arena, the Sonics Stadium. Key Arena has the lowest seating capacity in the NBA. The issue of a new stadium for the team is once again a major issue and the sole reason behind Bennett’s intention to move the Sonics. Bennett claims the Sonics lost $17 million last season because of the lease requiring the team to play there, and as a result he is trying to break the remaining two years of the contract.
After his proposal for a new stadium to be funded by public money from the city of Seattle ultimately fell through, Bennett announced that there was “limited public support for such a public investment.” March 1, 2008, is the deadline to file for relocation with the NBA, so it will be a long and drawn-out struggle between Bennett and the city of Seattle to reach a decision until then.
The Sonics were established in 1967, and are Seattle’s oldest sports franchise. The city has a rich sports history which also includes the Mariners (baseball), Seahawks (football), and Sounders (soccer).
Another small group of local investors, which is led by Dennis H. Daugs, offered to buy the Sonics from Bennett, stating that they “want to recapture the spirit and love of basketball in Seattle by bringing the Sonics and Storm back to local ownership.” Daugs went on to state that the town loves both teams, and that there is a great fan base. “We respect the many loyal fans and we want to build a populist movement to keep the teams here,” Daugs said. However, Bennett’s response was that the team is not for sale.
The move to Oklahoma City is an interesting proposition, and not one without warrant. After hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Oklahoma City welcomed the Hornets, who were unable to play in their home venue. The Hornets played the majority of their home games in Oklahoma at the Ford Center, which is an annual host to NCAA basketball tournaments. The fans of Oklahoma City opened their arms to the Hornets, and perhaps showed that they deserve a basketball team of their own.
While the NBA is greatly appreciative of the efforts and support it received from Oklahoma City in light of such a disaster, it would still be a big deal to move the Supersonics from Seattle. Perhaps it would be a more appropriate decision to give Oklahoma City an expansion team rather than have one inherited from the city of Seattle. The Sonics have been a staple in basketball history for some time, and it would be a shame to see the team removed from the place it has called home for so many years.
In the off-season, the Sonics traded away Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, the cornerstones of their previous team. Allen is one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers and three-point specialists, and Lewis is a multi-talented player as well.
The Sonics decided instead to rebuild the franchise off the shoulders, while they may be bony at this point, on a pair of rookie phenoms. Kevin Durant was the second overall pick in this year’s NBA draft, and was heralded as perhaps the most talented player coming out of the college ranks. Jeff Green, a big, versatile forward, joins Durant after graduating from Georgetown University last year. The two are incredibly talented and have the potential to form a dangerous duo for years to come.
While the future of the organization is now a bright one, full of youth and promise, it remains to be seen where the team will play. For now they remain in Seattle, but that will change if Bennett has his way. Stay tuned, as this dispute will certainly be a major topic around the NBA throughout the remainder of the season.
