David Stern and Seattle (Vancouver: to buy, luxury, construction)

[Seacove]

So David Stern infamously let the Seattle Sonics go to Oklahoma. Then infamously sided with Sacramento, keeping the Kings there when Seattle wanted to buy their team. It seems obviously he just had it in for Seattle since there was no reason to basically side with whichever city made sure Seattle didn't have the NBA.

What happens now I wonder. I developed a deep dislike for basketball because of David Stern. I look forward to being a huge NHL supporter instead since Seattle is getting their own team. Any guesses from local basketball fans?

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/...ad-77-n1109341

https://www.sacbee.com/news/article238889693.html

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by Seacove

So David Stern infamously let the Seattle Sonics go to Oklahoma. Then infamously sided with Sacramento, keeping the Kings there when Seattle wanted to buy their team. It seems obviously he just had it in for Seattle since there was no reason to basically side with whichever city made sure Seattle didn't have the NBA.

What happens now I wonder. I developed a deep dislike for basketball because of David Stern. I look forward to being a huge NHL supporter instead since Seattle is getting their own team. Any guesses from local basketball fans?

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/...ad-77-n1109341

https://www.sacbee.com/news/article238889693.html

Former local basketball fan here...the current commissioner does not offer much hope either.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/n...-at-this-time/

The best hope of a return of the Sonics appears to be a relocation. There are several teams that are underperforming, but I won't mention them here.

This is personal for me, as it is for many others. From my Dad taking us two brothers to games at the original Seattle Center Coliseum, to trying to fall asleep but unable to while listening to the play by play from Bob Blackburn circa 1971.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Former local basketball fan here...the current commissioner does not offer much hope either.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/n...-at-this-time/

The best hope of a return of the Sonics appears to be a relocation. There are several teams that are underperforming, but I won't mention them here.

This is personal for me, as it is for many others. From my Dad taking us two brothers to games at the original Seattle Center Coliseum, to trying to fall asleep but unable to while listening to the play by play from Bob Blackburn circa 1971.

I get it and I hope for the basketball fans that they get a team, though Adam Silver seemed to go out of his way to discourage that as well. The difference in the way they treated Seattle vs. Sacramento put such a bad taste in my mouth that I doubt I would ever go. I hope NHL blows the doors off just to show them the money and spirit they missed out on. Deep down, I would like Seattle to tell the NBA they are no longer interested but I know the NBA fans wouldn't agree.

[rjshae]

I'm well over the NBA. I don't even have any feelings about Stern's passing. Whatever.

[musicfamly5]

Originally Posted by Seacove

I get it and I hope for the basketball fans that they get a team, though Adam Silver seemed to go out of his way to discourage that as well. The difference in the way they treated Seattle vs. Sacramento put such a bad taste in my mouth that I doubt I would ever go. I hope NHL blows the doors off just to show them the money and spirit they missed out on. Deep down, I would like Seattle to tell the NBA they are no longer interested but I know the NBA fans wouldn't agree.

Honestly I never wanted to get the Sonics back from just poaching another team from a different city. To me it's just doing the same thing to another city that happened to us. And I don't blame the NBA with stopping the practice of poaching teams just because; a lot of teams in the 2000s got relocated and their fan bases (including Seattle) were livid and blamed the NBA for not stepping in. Can't blame them for doing what we asked.

The NBA is different from other sports. Unlike football or hockey were it's all about the team, basketball has become all about the stars. People don't go to games to root for their team (most people don't have a "team" anymore) they go to watch their favorite player and possibly see a famous person. Part of the reason the Sonics ownership vindicated their move was because despite the Sonics having a couple great runs and getting top of the line draft picks they couldn't get people to come to the games and had too small a market that the TV rating would never be high enough for non-localized people to take an interests and invest.

Adam Silver has been pretty clear that he isn't looking to add any more American teams currently; Seattle will eventually get a team or have a place in the NBA, it just won't be right this moment and we have to really want it. The league is being stretched pretty thin and right now it's looking like things will go international before adding more American teams. In fact I think after the success of Toronto the first city to be given another chance at a basketball team would be Vancouver BC. That would make more sense especially with the potential new rivalry with our cities NHL teams. Once that happens then Seattle moves up (possible with a G-league team to start), but only if we can guarantee the revenue and ability to fill seats and keep ratings up.

Small markets don't get handed teams, they earn them. And the actual city of Seattle never really wanted a team (they got rid of their former hockey team, tried getting rid of the Hawks and Mariners, and continuously make it hard to get a basketball team again) so it was always up to the fans to earn their team by supporting them and making it worth the investment for the few Seattle folks that funded all of it. Once that support stopped those making the investment looked were others would fill in that gap. Giving up will only make it that much harder to validate we deserve a team and honestly maybe we don't. But it's not simply because the league hates Seattle, it's because today's teams rely on big stars and huge ratings which don't come easily in Seattle.

[jakebarnes]

We are being punished by the NBA because we wouldn't cough up tax dollars for a new stadium with extra luxury boxes years ago. I don't care if they come back. It's just another stadium the taxpayers will get a shakedown for (on top of the existing ones).

I don't hate sports, but not sure why multi-million dollar businesses like the NBA and NFL need be subsidized by the taxpayer. The NFL is the most egregious, they are a "non-profit" har har

[travis t]

Originally Posted by jakebarnes

We are being punished by the NBA because we wouldn't cough up tax dollars for a new stadium with extra luxury boxes years ago. I don't care if they come back. It's just another stadium the taxpayers will get a shakedown for (on top of the existing ones).

I don't hate sports, but not sure why multi-million dollar businesses like the NBA and NFL need be subsidized by the taxpayer. The NFL is the most egregious, they are a "non-profit" har har

This has been my theory for a long time. I recall reading a Seattle Times article from around 2001 where Stern came to Seattle talking about the need for a new stadium. KeyArena was at the time only about 6 years old. Seattle-area politicos rejected the idea of a new tax-funded stadium, and by 2007 the Sonics were gone. I remember at the time that David Goldstein, a Seattle journalist, said that he heard a 'whisper down the lane' that Stern intended to make an example of Seattle, and that we would never get another team.

Adam Silver was Stern's protégé, so it seems probable if not certain that he would continue this vendetta. That's fine with me. Although I'm a life-long NBA fan, pro-sports is now a parasitic enterprise, and they can stay in OKC. We built 4 tax-funded pro-sports stadiums in the space of about 25 years, and now are getting ready for a fifth. Contrary to claims, the hockey stadium is not 100% privately funded.

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by travis t

This has been my theory for a long time. I recall reading a Seattle Times article from around 2001 where Stern came to Seattle talking about the need for a new stadium. KeyArena was at the time only about 6 years old. Seattle-area politicos rejected the idea of a new tax-funded stadium, and by 2007 the Sonics were gone. I remember at the time that David Goldstein, a Seattle journalist, said that he heard a 'whisper down the lane' that Stern intended to make an example of Seattle, and that we would never get another team.

Adam Silver was Stern's protégé, so it seems probable if not certain that he would continue this vendetta. That's fine with me. Although I'm a life-long NBA fan, pro-sports is now a parasitic enterprise, and they can stay in OKC. We built 4 tax-funded pro-sports stadiums in the space of about 25 years, and now are getting ready for a fifth. Contrary to claims, the hockey stadium is not 100% privately funded.

KeyArena has never been a new arena since it was originally built for the World's Fair in 1962. Yes, it has been heavily remodeled, first in 1995, and the current remodel which should be done by 2021. The roof is part of the city preservation law, so it will remain, but all under it will have been rebuilt and will make a great NHL hockey facility.

I agree, the NBA lost my interest after the Sonics left, but my boyhood memories still make me pang for the sport to return. Unfortunately, the NBA is not a real league anymore, with only a handful of competitive teams year after year. They really need to do what the NFL has done, and create more parity. But those who run the league prefer it to be a league of about 5 teams with superstars. Good luck with that business model. There will be no expansion in the NBA for this reason and others. So I guess I don't have much faith in the NBA ever returning to my hometown.

In the meantime, all these metro areas have an NBA team, and are smaller than the Seattle metro: (alphabetically)

Charlotte
Cleveland
Denver
Memphis
Milwaukee
Oklahoma City
Orlando
Portland
Sacramento
Salt Lake City
San Antonio

[travis t]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

KeyArena has never been a new arena since it was originally built for the World's Fair in 1962. Yes, it has been heavily remodeled, first in 1995, and the current remodel which should be done by 2021. The roof is part of the city preservation law, so it will remain, but all under it will have been rebuilt and will make a great NHL hockey facility.

I agree, the NBA lost my interest after the Sonics left, but my boyhood memories still make me pang for the sport to return. Unfortunately, the NBA is not a real league anymore, with only a handful of competitive teams year after year. They really need to do what the NFL has done, and create more parity. But those who run the league prefer it to be a league of about 5 teams with superstars. Good luck with that business model. There will be no expansion in the NBA for this reason and others. So I guess I don't have much faith in the NBA ever returning to my hometown.
….

The construction of KeyArena in 1995 was a total gut and rebuild. Whether it was "new" depends on how you define "new." To me, a gut and rebuild is "new." YMMV.

Wally Walker, former Sonics GM, was interviewed by Robert Mak on King TV and asked why the Sonics needed a new arena after such a short time. His reply was that the new stadiums of the Seahawks and Mariners had taken all of their corporate clients. The new venues had superior luxury box facilities. It's not tough to imagine where this stadium arms race could have taken us had we not said no to the Sonics.

Good riddance, in my view. And I say that as a life-long NBA fanatic.

[rjshae]

Originally Posted by jakebarnes

We are being punished by the NBA because we wouldn't cough up tax dollars for a new stadium with extra luxury boxes years ago. I don't care if they come back. It's just another stadium the taxpayers will get a shakedown for (on top of the existing ones).

I don't hate sports, but not sure why multi-million dollar businesses like the NBA and NFL need be subsidized by the taxpayer. The NFL is the most egregious, they are a "non-profit" har har

It's only a punishment if you care about the NBA. They quite willfully stuck it to us, so I have no problem sticking it back to them. To me it's worth solidly rejecting one of the pro franchises so we don't get taken for granted. We're the ones with the prosperous economy.