Kansas City and the NBA (Center, Denver: house, colleges, live)

[shawnceltic]

I'm going to be relocating to the KC area late March, early April. I'm a diehard NBA fan. I've lived and breathed Celtics basketball for over 20 years. I would love to be 30 minutes away from an NBA game. The Sprint Center seems like a beautiful arena, and could house an NBA team. What are the chances that this could happen? If it did what are some franchise name possibilities? How about the Kansas City Knots?

[RjRobb2]

They have discussed it but I think NHL is more likely. Most people around here look down on the NTA.

Kansas City is college basketball country. Big 12 Basketball is king here. We like to watch real basketball not the National Travelling Association version of the game.

[luzianne]

We used to have the Kansas City Kings. Don't know what happened to them. Do you care for college basketball at all? College basketball is what is big around here. We have the NCAA tournament at the Sprint Center in March. I know that's not the same as NBA. To me, college BB is more exciting than professional basketball. But that's just me...

[northbound74]

The Kings moved to Sacramento eons ago. For a while, we even shared them with Omaha somehow. Total disaster. Whatever could be done wrong, they did it.
The NBA is as popular as the IRS around here. That, and considering Oklahoma City got themselves a team, I doubt the league is looking to relocate to the area anytime soon. The NHL is much more likely to succeed. Sorry for the letdown.

[kcmo]

I couldn't give a rip about college bb, but I would go to NBA games if we had a team. Same with NHL.

I'm not sure there is much overlap between potential NBA fans and existing college bb fans. I think there is a whole market out there in KC that is just not even tapped right now. I'm one of them.

Bring on a pro sports team to Downtown in the winter. That would be sweet.

[shawnceltic]

I enjoy college hoops very much. I just think professional sports teams make a city complete (IMHO). Not a big hockey fan but would definately go to some games. You guys have the Chiefs, Royals, why not add to that with the NHL, and NBA. Northbound74, I disagree with you. I think because OK City has done so well it makes more sense to place an NBA franchise in KC. It show that the midwest is interested in the NBA. Not to mention you already have a state of the art facility just waiting for it (Sprint Center). I'm from New England, and there's tons of teams within a 150 or so miles from each other. "IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME". Crossing my fingers that's for sure!!

[northbound74]

I could be wrong, but I don't think the regional fan base is big enough to sustain a team. Before OKC got a team, I thought Kansas City would be a nice gap filler in the middle of the country for the NBA. Now I'm not so sure.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by northbound74

I could be wrong, but I don't think the regional fan base is big enough to sustain a team. Before OKC got a team, I thought Kansas City would be a nice gap filler in the middle of the country for the NBA. Now I'm not so sure.

Why is that? There is zero overlapping fan base between OKC and KC. 99% of the fans to a KC team would come from a 100 radius of KC. We might get a few from St Louis or Omaha on the weekend games etc.

KC has over twice the metro population as OKC, so I don't see why we couldn't support a team.

[RjRobb2]

Originally Posted by shawnceltic

I enjoy college hoops very much. I just think professional sports teams make a city complete (IMHO). Not a big hockey fan but would definately go to some games. You guys have the Chiefs, Royals, why not add to that with the NHL, and NBA. Northbound74, I disagree with you. I think because OK City has done so well it makes more sense to place an NBA franchise in KC. It show that the midwest is interested in the NBA. Not to mention you already have a state of the art facility just waiting for it (Sprint Center). I'm from New England, and there's tons of teams within a 150 or so miles from each other. "IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME". Crossing my fingers that's for sure!!

We already have three professional sports teams along with an independent baseball team. Not to mention we have three major colleges within a couple of hours. We dont have room for two more professional teams, the city just isnt big enough. We will get either the NBA or NHL, not both. The NHL would succeed here before an NBA team. This city is a college basketball city. We have hosted more Final Fours than any other city and house the NCAA College Basketball HOF. You will be hard pressed to find someone that prefers the NBA over college.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by RjRobb2

We already have three professional sports teams along with an independent baseball team. Not to mention we have three major colleges within a couple of hours. We dont have room for two more professional teams, the city just isnt big enough. We will get either the NBA or NHL, not both. The NHL would succeed here before an NBA team. This city is a college basketball city. We have hosted more Final Fours than any other city and house the NCAA College Basketball HOF. You will be hard pressed to find someone that prefers the NBA over college.

II agree, no way could we support both the NBA or NHL, but everybody I know (outside of the workplace) would rather KC have an NBA team over just following college sports.

I think the NBA would do well here. The NHL would do well too. Not both though.

The Tbones are not a pro sport by the way (that's not even single A baseball) and as far as I'm concerned, till the Wizards build a pro stadium and quit playing in that little minor league ballpark, they aren't either.

I think with downtown and the new arena, people would really support a pro team during the nasty and to many, boring, winter months.

I want to go see games against Denver, Chicago and Dallas, cities that I think of when it comes to sports. I don't give a rip about Oklahoma or Kstate. Many others are the same way.