NBA says yes to OKC
NBA says yes to OKC
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390
From staff reports
Published: April 18, 2008
NEW YORK — Welcome to the big leagues, Oklahoma City.
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With a 28-2 vote of owners on Friday, the NBA added Oklahoma City to the roster of major league cities, officially approving the relocation of the SuperSonics.
Dallas owner Mark Cuban and Portland owner Paul Allen voted against the move.
"The support demonstrated for the NBA by the fans, the government leaders and the business community of Oklahoma City over the last three years has been extraordinary," said NBA commissioner David Stern at a Friday press conference.
"The board of governors is confident that that level of support will result in the success of the Sonics franchise in Oklahoma."
The Sonics will pay a $30 million relocation fee.
Legal wrangling over the Sonics' lease will still determine when the team gets to town, but the vote puts the seal of approval on Oklahoma City's ascendance from temporary relocation home of the Hornets to landing spot for the Sonics.
The team could be in Oklahoma City as soon as this fall or as late as after the end of the 2009-10 season.
"We'll play there, subject to the order of the court. It will be what it will be," Stern said.
On July 18, 2006, a group of Oklahoma City businessmen led by Clay Bennett purchases the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics and WNBA's Seattle Storm for $350 million.
Since then, Bennett's group has tried to find itself a new arena home in Seattle, sold off the WNBA team and been summoned to court in a case against the city over enforcement of the lease. The trial will begin on June 16.
" I think no one among the 30 owners questioned the good faith of Clay Bennett," Stern said Friday.
In the lead-up to the NBA's move, Oklahoma City voters approved $121 million in improvements to the Ford Center and on Thursday, the Oklahoma Legislature approved tax rebates for an NBA team for the next 15 years.
Members of the NBA relocation committee and Stern visited Oklahoma City on March 25, coming away impressed by the city's presentation.
"It was a pretty full presentation and pretty much a tour de force on behalf of Oklahoma that I'd say impressed the members of the committee greatly," Stern said then.
New Jersey Nets co-owner Lewis Katz, one of three team owners and a team executive who visited as members of the subcommittee, said there is no question Oklahoma City would join the NBA.
"There's no question in my mind that they're coming. It's just a question of when," Katz said.
Turned out, he was right.

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Many of the actions that have brought the OKC Sonics and Seattle to this point, have been mishandled, misrepresented and frankly, an embarrassment to the great citizens of Oklahoma and Washington.
For certain, there will remain controversy in both states as to the actions taken by state and municipal government, either with (large tax incentives approved) or (lack of urgency, consideration or disapproval), by their respective legislators. What is more alarming is the agenda by Mr. Stern to help facilitate moving an existing team - any team, with a deep, established customer and support base, in terms of revenue(facilities aside) - More than the efforts to help facilitate keeping that strong base in the existing city.
It seems to be driven by greed and the power that he believes to have through the NBA monopoly, to extort communities to build NBA Palaces. The NBA is very, very healthy. We don't need half billion dollar arenas to make everybody happy.
Mr. Stern and Mr. Bennett did make an attempt to seek a new facility commitment, from government legislators in Washington - But $500 million dollar investments, c'mon. With those less-than-genuine attempts and outrageous requests, combined with the decision by Mr. Bennett to gut the payroll, rebuild and field an inferior team - It was obvious that Stern and Bennett could then argue a (Lack of support from the government) and (Poor fan attendance). It would divide the citizens/customers and state legislature.
All that said, Mr. Bennett’s investor group did purchase the team, and of course can do as they wish, and should honor existing terms that were obvious in the due diligence, before signing the agreement.
I believe I share the same opinion as many others do, that much of the consternation that exists today, would never be, if Clay Bennett had simply stated up front that he represents a group of investors from OKC that fully intends to move the Sonics to OKC first and foremost, that they will give the community and government a chance to respond, and that if it's not what they’re looking for, that they would proceed to move the team.
I can live with that. I would have appreciated everyone's honesty up front, accepted it and moved on. Deceit and chest beating destroyed credibility of many, wrongly portrayed citizens in both States, and has deeply tarnished the reputation of the NBA, over an agenda that grew stronger with every action, and was very avoidable.
Many of the actions that have brought the OKC Sonics and Seattle to this point have been mishandled, misrepresented and frankly, an embarrasment to the great citizens of Oklahoma and Washington. For certain, there will remain, controvery in both states as to the actions taken by state and municipal government either with(large tax incentives approved)or (lack of urgency, consideration or disapproval), by their respective legislators. What is more alarming is the agenda by Mr. Stern to help facilitate moving an existing team - any team, with a deep, established customer and support base, in terms of revenue(facilities aside), more than the efforts to help facilitate keeping that strong base in the existings city. It seems to be driven by greed and the power that he believes to have through the NBA monopoly, to extort communities to build NBA Palaces. The NBA is very, very healthy. We don't need half billion dollar areans to make everybody happy. Mr. Stern and Mr. Bennett did make an attempt to seek a new facility commitment from government legislators in Washington - But $500 million dollar investments, c'mon. With those less-than-genuine attempts and outreageous requests combined with the decision by Mr. Bennett to gut the payroll, rebuild and field an inferior team - It was obvious that Stern and Bennett could then argue a (Lack of support from the gvernement)and (Poor fan attendance). It would divide the citizens/customers and state legislature.
All that said, Mr. Bennetts investor group did purchase the team, and of course can do as they wish, and should honor existing terms that were obvious in the due diligence before signing the agreement. I believe I share the same opinion as many others do, that much of the consternation that exists today, would never be, if Clay Bennett had simply stated up front that he repreresents a group of investors from OKC that fully intends to move the Sonics to OKC first and foremost, that we'll give the community and government a chance respond, and that if it's not what we're looking for, we'll proceed to move the team. I can live with that. I would have appreciated everyone's honesty up front, accepted it and moved on. Deceit and chest beating destroyed credibility of many, wrongly portrayed citizens on both States, and has deeply tarnished the reputation of the NBA, over an agenda that grew stronger with every action, and was very avoidable.
1) Clay is still a hero in OKC.
2) Clay is shady, but we don’t care because he brought us the NBA.
3) Clay is a shady character who lacks integrity and does not represent the people of OKC…we are embarrassed.
OKC rarely gets national press…so it is interesting to know how people feel about this guy representing their city.