SEATTLE (AP)—The SuperSonics will move to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season as part of a settlement announced Wednesday with the city of Seattle.

The agreement ends a contentious relationship that culminated in a recent six-day federal trial over terms of the team’s KeyArena lease. The judge was scheduled to rule Wednesday afternoon.



Last-minute deal lets Sonics move to Oklahoma City - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

There is a very unpopular guy in Seattle these days.

This isn't over, yet.

Our mayor is a liar and a fool, but we still have a very strong Schultz lawsuit to hold the NBA's balls to the fire. If we can get an arena deal done, I would expect the NBA to offer up an expansion Sonics.

I don't understand this whole new arena thing. If the city wants to build a new arena then they will but to take a team away on the fact they can't get a new arena is a little dumb. Maybe there is something I don't understand and is the current arena in that bad a shape? is it falling apart?

Here's the deal:

- Key Arena isn't that bad, just on the smaller side in seats and revenues. All it needs is a remodel

- Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz pushed to get 100% of the remodel paid for by public. Public of course was upset as Mariners and Seahawks each donated more than $130,000,000 a piece for their stadiums.

- in a hissy fit, Schultz quickly sells team to a group from Oklahoma that had no plans of ever staying in Seattle, instead of taking the time to sell the team to interested local Seattle buyers

- The Okies lie, cheat, and steal their way out of town with David Stern's help (the lead lying Okie is a friend of Stern)


Now we in Seattle need the NBA to give us an expansion team or we will have to act like those small d--- weasels in Tornado Country and steal some other city's pride and joy.

We have an arena plan, arena money, and a group of owners led by two Fortune 50 CEOs. If Stern had a clue, he would have done what Paul Tagliabue did with the Seahawks and work his butt off for a settlment. The NBA and ESPN have done fans a major disservice here. Your team may be next, but ESPN isn't covering this issue because they have a prtner$hip with the NBA.

Pissing away a top 10 NBA city is bad business. Stern needs to go. And so does Seattle's fat headed, lying mayor. May they all rot in OKC (aka hell).

That may all be true but I still have to laugh because when I jokingly commented 2 years ago that the fans in OKC would enjoy watching Durant you ripped me a new one and informed me that the Sonics would never leave Seattle.

I didn't expect the mayor to break his promise. Had Nickels done his job, they would still be here.


Are you ready for the Seattle Celtics in 2014?

Had Seattle been a good place to have a NBA team you would have one.

But the Sonics have been there since the 60's and now in 2008 they are no longer a good NBA city? that makes no sense.

Sonics were third from the bottom in attendance last year. Does that make sense?

ESPN - NBA Attendance - National Basketball Association

no because was this the first year they were that low in attendance?

Also would you running to see a team that was about to move?

They have only been in the top 20 in attendance once in the past 5 years and that was #20. Only downhill from there. If the fans loved their team so much they would have gone and spent the money to keep them in town. Good riddance.

If you have no idea what you are talking about. This could have happened to any NBA team. An out of town owner wanted to move the team regardless of fan support. The Sonics have an amazing history of great fan support. Led the league in total attendance multiple times. Had one of the longest sellout streaks in the 90s, despite the NBA's 2nd highest ticket price. Also was the first franchise in the NBA to average over 20,000 fans a game.

Seattle is a better NBA city than Indianapolis is.

I don't disagree. Indiana is a college and high school basketball state. Get over it. The Mariners are next.

Would you give your money to an out of town, lying, piece of shit owner that was trying to steal your team? Look at the attendance figures prior to the Okies buying the team.

How can they get higher attendance with a small arena? Where do the Sonics rank in capacity filled? Where do they rank in sellouts?


You are 100% clueless in this issue. Seattle is a top 10 NBA city. The Sonics mean a lot to me, so I am greatly offend by your comments. Instead of talking ignorant bullshit, why don't you read up on this issue?

Quite frankly I don't pay attention to third rate teams. All I know is that they were not above #20 in the past five years. But I can't wait to buy Kevin Durant OKC jersey.

If you keep talking this way, you are next.

What is you problem?

Go to hell or OKC; they are one in the same.

You keep saying this isn't over....but it is. Your team is gone, and that team is coming back. Now you may get an expansion team or a bottom tier team in a failing market in the next 5 yrs or so, no one has stated otherwise (I hard this on ESPN so not sure why you think they are not covering the story). But the Sonics as you knew them are moving to Oklahoma City, done deal, case closed. Now the new case to bring the Sonics back can start, but they did not save "their" Sonics.