Sonics moving to Oklahoma City

So the question is, will they be moving to Oklahoma City for the 08/09 season or wait until the season after that? If they plan on moving for this upcoming season one assumes the proceedings will need to begin soon.

The answer is here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-supersonics-seattletrial&prov=ap&type=lgns.

What a shame...

they might as well get the relocating over and done with rather then sit on it for a season

This sucks hard.

Go Blazers!

that's just sad.. i feel bad for the sonics fans. 40 years of sonics history gone.

now that they're leaving the name, logos behind in seattle, makes me wonder what the team will be named now.

maybe name the team ball-suckers, in honor of stern and bennett..

they might as well get the relocating over and done with rather then sit on it for a season

True, it would have been a dismal season in Seattle had they stayed another year with the impending move. For all the passion Sonics fans have shown with the Save our Sonics campaign, I doubt a lot of people could get excited about a team that they knew was definitely heading out of town at the end of the year.

Entrusting the name, colours and records to the city is something but it's kind of an empty gesture too, at least for the moment. Kevin Durant is also going to have technically played for two clubs without ever being traded, so there's one for the trivia file.

$$$$ talks folks, NBA wants there team in Arenas that help them make money... Key Arena is like 30 years old it has been renovated once in the early 90's to what we have today. There is just so much you can do to a 30 year old building like that. The Ford Center is just a few years old and pretty nice, "played there once". And they have more to work with at cheaper cost to renovate. They payed 75 million to leave today but they will make it back quick. OKC is a basketball / sports crazy town. New uins $$$$ new fans $$$$ up in comer like KD $$$ and now more private suits $$$$. Most NBA team that are the major leaser of arenas get cuts of profit for suites even for non-nba events.

Seattle has 18mths to get there Sh*t together if they want a new team in 5 years. I dont see if happening, they claim they have no $$$ because of the Seahawks and Mariners stadiums. And Stern wont do anything with a new $$$ making Arena. Vegas wants a team Kansas City has a great new Arena with no team. Kings have been trying for a new arena and are talks with the state for it still. IF not they might go to vegas. So no basketball in Seattle for maybe 10 years.

I feel bad for GP i wont get his jersey retired for long time....

I know this because i work with the 2 major architectural firms that design and build almost the new sports arena / staduims in the country. Recently worked on the whole new magic/ orlando arena.

How sad, that was my favorite team for quite a while. Really sucks for the fans in the Rainy City...

So the question is, will they be moving to Oklahoma City for the 08/09 season or wait until the season after that? If they plan on moving for this upcoming season one assumes the proceedings will need to begin soon.

According to this article they will be playing in Oklahoma City for the 08/09 season, new team name new colors. My condolences to Seattle fans, I'm from LA and I know how much it sucks to lose a team that you root for. I think Stern and Clay Bennett are a couple of A-holes that didn't try very hard (in Bennett's case didn't try at all) to keep that team in Seattle.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8286654?MSNHPHMA

I discovered that from the link dansensei posted but thanks all the same. I agree that it's a real shame but I don't agree with all the hate that's being piled on Stern. I'm not sure what else he was supposed to do, it's not like the NBA can fund the building of a new arena to keep the Sonics in town. Unfortunately it was Bennett's right to try and move the team, Stern was following protocol.

However, the fact that Stern didn't condemn those emails that leaked and tried to help pass them off as meaning something they clearly didn't was pretty poor.

Oklahoma City... yes very deserving of a basketball team, a very important city, and fans are going to be flocking to the midwest to watch the sonics.

most people dont know but stern is from Seattle area , he's marketing company actually design a logo for them years ago.....

Oklahoma City... yes very deserving of a basketball team, a very important city, and fans are going to be flocking to the midwest to watch the sonics.

As dumb as it seems, I bet they will be very successful, think about it what else is there to do in OKC? A co-worker of mine has family in Oklahoma and she says that's all people out there are talking about. Look at the Pacers, they are in the Midwest and are very successful in drawing fans to their games, nevertheless Seattle w/o a team seems a little strange.

They are going to compete with the Grizzlies for popularity.

They are going to compete with the Grizzlies for popularity.

Was that supposed to be funny cause I was laughing my ass off!?!?

They are going to compete with the Grizzlies for popularity.

Was that supposed to be funny cause I was laughing my ass off!?!?

The only thing that increases your e-post count more than attempted humor is insulting attempted humor. The reason I compare the two is because both are teams moved from the Northwest to small Midwest markets. Thanks for giving my post double-power though by quoting it.

Am I the only one who is actually happy with this move? Granted, I was born and raised right outside of Oklahoma City and plan on moving back as soon as my service is done, but I'm excited for this. Oklahoma loves sports tremendously. The Hornets games were constant sellouts. I believe the Sonics will do well there. As BigGameJames wrote, there isn't a whole lot to do out there, and that's why sports reign. High school sports and Oklahoma State Univ. and Oklahoma Univ. sports are extremely popular. We have a Triple-A baseball team and a CHL hockey team, but we've always felt we could support a Major League sports team. NFL was always out of the question due to the market size, but we pined for an NHL, MLS, and NBA team. Neither of the first 2 leagues were expanding when we were really trying to get one, but we finally got our shot when Katrina took out New Orleans. Oklahoma City proved they could support an NBA franchise. Honestly, I think part of it was the novelty factor, and I believe it will be the same with the new franchise. If they continue to head in the right direction and can become a winning team, however, I see no reason why the franchise wouldn't last in OKC.

but we finally got our shot when Katrina took out New Orleans

Damn son, no need to be a cold hearted son of a bitch because you're happy.

it's not that oklahoma city can't support an nba team, the point here is that they're leaving a city with 40 years of nba tradition, just for the sake of money...

seattle deserves the sonics. that's the bottomline.

stern needs to wake up and face the reality. what he's doing is betraying millions of nba fans out there. wut good is it to remain loyal to the team u love these days, when it can be moved anytime anywhere for the sake of money.

it always is sad to see a team move but this one disgusts me.

seattle deserves the sonics. that's the bottomline.

stern needs to wake up and face the reality. what he's doing is betraying millions of nba fans out there. wut good is it to remain loyal to the team u love these days, when it can be moved anytime anywhere for the sake of money.

it always is sad to see a team move but this one disgusts me.

well said. just imagining how i love rooting for the blazers it can all be taken away by some little money issue disturbs me.

I will hold out hope that this works out like the Browns in Cleveland.

In a couple years maybe we'll see an expansion Sonics team.

most people dont know but stern is from Seattle area , he's marketing company actually design a logo for them years ago.....

Really? Everything I've read refers to him being born and raised in New York.

Am I the only one who is actually happy with this move? Granted, I was born and raised right outside of Oklahoma City and plan on moving back as soon as my service is done, but I'm excited for this.

I think for most people, it's more about Seattle losing the team than Oklahoma City gaining it. I expect there are a lot of people happy about the move but those who are upset or feel it's a shame the team is moving after 40 years are going to be more vocal about it.

stern needs to wake up and face the reality. what he's doing is betraying millions of nba fans out there. wut good is it to remain loyal to the team u love these days, when it can be moved anytime anywhere for the sake of money.

But Stern didn't betray anyone! Clay Bennett and his group betrayed Seattle, just as Michael Heisley betrayed Vancouver and George Shinn betrayed Charlotte. Well, in Shinn's case he'd alienated a lot of fans by that point but it was his ownership group that made the call to move. The blame keeps getting thrust upon big bad David Stern but it's not his fault. What was he supposed to do? Deny Bennett his unfortunate right to move the team when league rules allow it? Have the NBA fund a new arena? Bennett is the villain in this saga.

I do agree that it's sad a team can be taken away from loyal fans but at some point, money is important because these groups are paying millions of dollars to own teams and in some cases, losing millions as well. At some point, it goes beyond sporting culture and traditions and becomes more about business. That's not to say I like what Bennett did but he can't be faulted for thinking about money. To us, the tradition and what goes down on the court is more important but owners are making a large investment so they're going to be concerned about money. That's just the way it is.

The despicable part of course is that Bennett and his group obviously didn't have any intention of keeping the team in Seattle. They did what they needed to so as to appear they would try to find a solution in Seattle and when those "efforts" fell through, went back to what we can safely assume was their plan all along, moving the team to Oklahoma City. Worst of all, as shady a practice as it looks it's something that's within an owner's rights.