Clay Bennett got what he wanted all along… The Sonics are leaving Seattle. And David Stern sat back and watched.
“We made it,” Bennett said after stepping to an Oklahoma City podium featuring the NBA logo and the letters OKC. “The NBA will be in Oklahoma City next season.”
The settlement calls for Bennett and his Professional Basketball Club LLC to pay as much as $75 million to the city in exchange for the immediate termination of the lease. The team’s name and colors will be staying in Seattle.
Bennett bought the team under the false promise to keep the team in Seattle… even though he wanted to move that team to Oklahoma City from day 1. David Stern knew it all along and he just sat back with that same smirk on his face… and he let it happen.
I feel bad for hoops fans in Seattle. They got robbed. I know people in OKC proved to be good basketball fans in the after the post-Katrina Hornets days… and this is no commentary on their fanhood… but Clay Bennett robbed the people of Seattle.
Just makes you appreciate our owners more.
This blows beyond belief. The list of assholes that made this happen is a mile long, but proudly perched atop is Stern and Clay Bennett. As a Wash. Celtic fan we always loved the sonics(except when playing the C’s). No more taunting Kobe at the Key Arena, no more bitch slapping the Jail Blazers. The sonics are the only team in town to win a Championship and we let them get away. We shared alot of the same player with the C’s over the years, Ray, DJ, GP, Silas and yes the ultimate douche Vin Baker. Thank God the Celtics have decent owners and a mayor who won’t fuck the fans just to stroke his own ego. I guess my sons and I will root for the C’s at the Rosegarden this year.On the bright side, at least P.J. Carlesimo has left town.
Man…. I didn’t know you were in Seattle.
This was a robbery from the get-go. Seattle fans SHOULD be bitter about this.
I for one am not going to watch (in person there isn’t much threat anyway), or discuss the OKC team at least until Seattle has a new team. This is made easier as I have no particular affinity for any of their players. I hope they’re terrible, and I bet they will be. I’m really glad they were forced to give up the Supersonics name/logo/history.
Cool Weird Scenario: expansion team in Seattle within two years, in the expansion draft they take Ray back from us…? Kinda cool, not sure how I’d feel about it, and obviously there’s almost no chance of this happening.
as much as i hate expansion since it dilutes the league, seattle deserves a franchise. maybe they can do what the browns did 9 years ago. seattle was a legitimate homecourt advantage much like new york, boston and golden state. I remember the crowds from the payton-kemp era and the 04-05 team.