Seattle's SuperSonics bid steals spotlight at NBA All-Star weekend
HOUSTON, Texas - The fight to bring the SuperSonics back to Seattle took center stage at the All-Star NBA weekend in Houston.
NBA Commissioner David Stern was the target of a full-court press Saturday for answers about the future of the Sacramento Kings at his state-of-the-league conference.
He didn't give up very many answers - nor did he offer any clues about whether the Kings would stay in Sacramento or leave for Seattle - but did give Seattleites reason to mark our calendars.
Stern said he doesn't want to publicly tell Sacramento what they have to do to keep the team. But both cities can't be happy. One will lose.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson says emotions are running high in California's capital city.
"You just think about our fans and our attendance and our records and what we've done year in and year out," said Johnson.
Stern expects to receive Sacramento's bid before March - and believes it will be competitive to that of Seattle - including a new facility with a significant subsidy from the city.
"It's going to be tough for anyone to outdo what we've done," added Johnson. "That's a really competitive advantage."
Stern says only that it will be a difficult decision.
"I think the owners are going to have a tough issue to decide, but I don't want to get to it 'cause we don't have the predicate for that tough decision yet," said Stern.
Stern, who has already met with Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, has not met with Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson - but expects to in the near future.
"There's a great and strong application from a terrific city to bring in a third and possibly a fourth team in a brand-new building, a well-financed ownership group," said Stern. "That's really good, and so if you're a commissioner you like that."
For Seattle fans, April 18 may be a big day. That's when Seattle's Chris Hansen and the relocation committee can give their final pitch directly to the league.
The Seattle group led by Hansen and Steve Ballmer has reached an agreement with the Maloof family to buy 65 percent of the franchise, which is valued at $525 million, and move the team to Seattle and restore the SuperSonics name. The deal will cost the Hansen group a little more than $340 million.
Meanwhile, Seattle Mayor McGinn's office said, "We are working on the review and permitting process for a new arena. And we are working to ensure KeyArena is ready for the 2013-14 NBA season."
NBA Commissioner David Stern was the target of a full-court press Saturday for answers about the future of the Sacramento Kings at his state-of-the-league conference.
He didn't give up very many answers - nor did he offer any clues about whether the Kings would stay in Sacramento or leave for Seattle - but did give Seattleites reason to mark our calendars.
Stern said he doesn't want to publicly tell Sacramento what they have to do to keep the team. But both cities can't be happy. One will lose.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson says emotions are running high in California's capital city.
"You just think about our fans and our attendance and our records and what we've done year in and year out," said Johnson.
Stern expects to receive Sacramento's bid before March - and believes it will be competitive to that of Seattle - including a new facility with a significant subsidy from the city.
"It's going to be tough for anyone to outdo what we've done," added Johnson. "That's a really competitive advantage."
Stern says only that it will be a difficult decision.
"I think the owners are going to have a tough issue to decide, but I don't want to get to it 'cause we don't have the predicate for that tough decision yet," said Stern.
Stern, who has already met with Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, has not met with Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson - but expects to in the near future.
"There's a great and strong application from a terrific city to bring in a third and possibly a fourth team in a brand-new building, a well-financed ownership group," said Stern. "That's really good, and so if you're a commissioner you like that."
For Seattle fans, April 18 may be a big day. That's when Seattle's Chris Hansen and the relocation committee can give their final pitch directly to the league.
The Seattle group led by Hansen and Steve Ballmer has reached an agreement with the Maloof family to buy 65 percent of the franchise, which is valued at $525 million, and move the team to Seattle and restore the SuperSonics name. The deal will cost the Hansen group a little more than $340 million.
Meanwhile, Seattle Mayor McGinn's office said, "We are working on the review and permitting process for a new arena. And we are working to ensure KeyArena is ready for the 2013-14 NBA season."
lose one gain one situation again and again....so what if Sac leaves for seattle....Sonics is important for the future of the NBA and fans...and Sacramento they can always bring back the kings..it takes a little bit of money and lots of time....and i am just anxiously waiting for the SONICS to come home.you misss something or someone that long...you know it is entimental and we gonna fight for it back.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/sports/article/298763/14/Sacramento-Kings-going-to-stay-in-town-says-Mayor
seattle deserves to have there team okc does not deserve the thunder they will not last in the nba
@Alec Leal as much as I hate OKC unfortunately they will last with their fanbase and Clay Bennett unfortunately the Chairman of the relocation committee
Seattle doesn't deserve a team, they gave the last one away. Besides who can afford to go to one of those games?
@Working Stiff Seattle did not give it away, the IDIOT that owns starbucks did.
Once again they are not the SuperSonics!
@Man Seveneleven Not yet!!!!!
@Man Seveneleven who are they then
Just to make it clear, the fight "to bring the Supersonics back to Seattle" is really a fight to bring another team to Seattle and call them the Supersonics...
@boeman seattle has won a championship before and the fans are still strong...anything to bring back the sonics.
Stern will never let Seattle have a team. We will have to wait until he quits or falls over dead.
@Grumpa The owners will, it's up to them, not Stern.
This story is getting really really old.
@Willy Lee NO.NO...IT IS A SLOW CHANGE
OFF SUBJECT. Is anyone else besides me having problem posting comments. I have to wait while a article loads and several comments I made where never posted.
Am I alone? If this gets posted.
@snoopy84 I often will open several stories (different tabs) and read before logging in. When I DO make a comment or a "like" it will switch to my log-in page where I then log in and it switches back to the article/comments. THEN I have to again click on "post Comment" or again click on the "like" before it actually takes.
Maybe you have a different problem but that is what works for me.
@Furd @snoopy84 Thanks. That is what happens to me. Sometimes I had to rewrite my post.
I also get a message "kpmo script to long".
Oh well. Thanks again.
It is unbelievable that Sacramento being in such dire financial straights can even think of committing city money to trying to keep a team there. The entire state of California is so deep in the red that several cities have filed bankruptcy already with many more on the edge of having to do it. They need to let go and clean house and get back in a strong financial position before trying to field the costs of a new stadium with all the perks they demand. Even though I live in the state of Wa. I am not a basketball fan and could care less where a team is, but Sacramento needs to suck it up and let go of the Kings. Â
"Stern says only that it will be a difficult decision." Well obviously for him, it's a hell of a lot more difficult than the one he made 5 years ago. I only hope the NBA will become somewhat more decent after that douchbag Stern retires.
@TheNewsChick #KOMO wasn't present at the presser were they?
@Bham_Insider Don't know if they were there.
@TheNewsChick bobc from times tweets who he saw there and KOMO wasn't listed
@TheNewsChick Your Article is wrong it was talking about Seattles proposal for the 3rd and 4th team. Not Sacramento! That's a huge Advantage
I think Stern has a grudge with Seattle, He made it clear when he said the Seattle and the state would not put up subsidys for the sonics and yet did for the mariners and hawks.
He also appointed Clayton Bennett to over see the deal. Anyone wants to know why this is taking so long? Clay Bennet and Stern is the hold up. They know Sacramento doesn't have the money, so they are giving them time to get the money togther.
@snoopy84Â Well if Bennett doesn't want the Kings to come to Seattle & they don't, then he owes the city some more money as part of the deal that he & the City made when they left town
@choliscott @snoopy84 That ship sailed a while ago. He doesn't owe Seattle anything either way.
@Hachee_Bungwhy@choliscott@snoopy84This was posted on the Seattle Times on July 2, 2008
The city of Seattle will be paid $45 million in exchange for letting the Sonics move to Oklahoma City this year as part of last-minute settlement announced this afternoon.
Sonics owner Clay Bennett may have to pay an additional $30 million in five years if the city is unable to secure another NBA team, under the terms of the settlement announced at simultaneous press conferences in Seattle and Oklahoma City.
 http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2008030229_sonitrial02.html
@snoopy84Â Bennett was appointed head of the relocation committee LONG before Hansen proposed the new arena.
@Jeanine Curtis @snoopy84 My 3rd try. I made a error. I misunderstood an ESPN spot and thought Bennett was just assigned. Thanks for bringing me up to speed.
Yet I still think Stern has a grudge and Bennet does not have favor for Seattle.
A significant subsidy from the city???? Â The City of Sacramento couldn't afford a new arena in the their first proposal, what makes them think they can afford it now??? Â
@Baffled by people
Sacramento has a $2 Billion debt in long term obligations; Moodyâs recently downgraded the City of Sacramentoâs bond rating. Other than with a smoke and mirrors approach, it will be interesting to see how Sacramento realistically proposes providing âa new facility with a significant subsidy from the cityâ as Stern stated.
http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/77958/Citys_2_billion_debt_comes_to_a_head
http://www.scribd.com/doc/119551748/City-Debt-ReportÂ
http://workplacechoice.org/2013/01/09/sacramento-city-manager-details-unfunded-debt-obligations/
http://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-downgrades-City-of-Sacramentos-CA-Lease-Revenue-Bonds-to--PR_265188
If Seattle gets the team I hope they support them better with the ticket sales.Â
@swan It all starts with ownership.
@Seahawk64 @swan True, Seattle is a great market and very much a basketball town. The Schults ownership group ran the team into the ground before selling at a large profit. The resurected Sonics will enjoy robust fan support. The Hansen Ballmer group has a lot of money - enough to lure big talent. I'm sure they will create a great team.
Yes typical NBA lets pit these idiots against each other and see how much money we can squeeze out of them , and then let the losing city twist in the wind.   WHY would you do business with these people its all a rip off and overpaid tattoo models running around.Â
to get as much money as he can for the NBA
@j t france it's all about yellow and green!!sonics are coming back...in a positive perspective!
If there is already an agreement to sell, why is there even talk at all????
If you guys can't see what he's doing then you are naive. He's doing this to wrack up as much money as possible and create a huge bidding war. The NBA wins, everyone else loses.Â
@NW-Economist
@NW-Economist There will be no bidding war as the purchase/sale agreement has been executed and deposit made. The sale is complete but needs final approval of the NBA BoG. These are owners and they will not deny another owner the ability to sell his team to a very well funded buyer - they wouldn't want to set that precident, they may want to sell their own team one day.
Stern can't very well tell Sacramento that the team is gone, that would dramatically affect ticket sales for the rest of the season.
To David Stern, "that's right, worry about what the team and their name mean to a city, just like you did when you allowed the heart to be ripped out of Seattle." Â
@j t france Seems to me, based on his comments - that Frank Chopp is the hatchetman in his eyes...
@Throbbinhood @j t france Frank Chopp and Nick Licata were the hatchet men when it came to Seattle politicians.