From a pure financial standpoint, moving the Sonics to Oklahoma City does not make much sense. It makes even less sense when the history of the NBA is taken into account, but if there is one thing fans of the league have learned, nothing has to make any sense to the league unless THEY believe it will benefit them in a monetary sense.
The Sonics are a storied franchise with a 40-year history and many successful teams from separate eras. How does moving them to an arena, that is not brand new, simply because the tax payers of Seattle will not build a new one make any sense?
Now that it seems inevitable that the Sonics will move to Oklahoma City, it feels appropriate to go over a list of things that may happen during the next decade in the NBA that will make at least as much sense as moving a team from a television market ranked in the teens to one that is ranked in the 40s.
-The NBDL will get a major television deal to broadcast its games nationally.
-After the league finishes visiting Asia and Europe, they will branch out to every other continent, eventually playing a game in Antarctica to truly achieve their global reach.
-The league will consist of 82 teams in different countries across the world. In order to compete with the cold weather events of playoff football and the NHL’s new annual outdoor game, the NBA will plan its own outside game during the winter in a football stadium (players will still have to wear their traditional uniforms).
-After drafting UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough with the first-overall pick in the NBA draft, Michael Jordan will make his third comeback with the Bobcats.
-Players from the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons will be dispersed equally around the league so every team will have the same amount of boring, fundamentally sound players who complain about every foul called against them.
-LeBron James gets so fed up with head coach Mike Brown’s offense that he tells general manager Danny Ferry to fire Brown and hire James as a player/coach.
-All new stadiums will be built to seat at least 40,000 people to maximize profitability. The playoffs will go until the beginning of September.
-The Globetrotters will become an official NBA team, but will not have a home stadium. They will truly be globe trotters and play one game against all of the 82 teams from all over the world.
How is all of this going to happen you ask?
-Isiah Thomas is going to be commissioner of the NBA.
By now the league has to realize that moving the Hornets to New Orleans because they couldn’t get a deal done in Charlotte was a bad idea. Moving a team and then putting an expansion team in its place does not make any sense at all. If there has to be a team in Oklahoma City, why not put an expansion team there? (Although I don’t believe the league is ready for another one of those.)
From the standpoint of what is going to make the money, which is the only thing that the league truly cares about, moving a team to a city that is the size of Oklahoma City would not be the most profitable thing to do. Obviously the NBA is mad because the city of Seattle paid for a new baseball and football stadium, but won't pay for a new basketball arena. Yet, packing up and leaving is not the answer and is a disgrace to the league.
(Since the city of Seattle is petitioning to keep their name and colors, the move will be almost exactly like the Cleveland Browns’ move to Baltimore in the mid-90s, something that many still look down upon the league for allowing it to happen.)
This author can be reached by e-mail at BJordan@BusinessofSportsNetwork.com.
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2 months ago
HA, that shot at SA and DET was great. To bad that is the type of team that wins it.
Future Headline: San Antonio and Detroit in the finals again this year. ABC executives hang himself!!
2 months ago
Yeah, that's really the last thing that the NBA or ABC wants right now. Even with LeBron James in the finals last year, the ratings were terrible.
Not only are the Spurs and Pistons boring for the normal public to watch, they seem to get more annoying as the years drag on.
2 months ago
true that, the Spurs whine about everything, funny read
2 months ago
Thanks Ian.
When the Spurs first came up, I respected the way they play the game, but now I can't picture Tim Duncan doing anything besides complaining to the ref.
2 months ago
The Spurs are a great fundamental team. I hate them. The Pistons epitomize team basketball. I hate them even more. The league was built on fun team basketball not boring team basketball.
Oklahoma City is going to be a good place for a team for a couple of years. My question is can they sustain a team for the long term.
2 months ago
That's the main problem I have with them moving to Oklahoma City. I see those owners complaining about not getting people to the arena and not getting nationally televised games or free agents in a couple of years. This is the problem with non basketball people owning the teams.
2 months ago
You make jokes about Antarctica, but I just happened to be watching All Access with Ahmad Rashad today and he said "the only country that the NBA hasn't played in is Antarctica, but expect that to change soon."
I kinda just unhinged my jaw. Was he serious?!
from 2 months ago
sure, if NHL can play outside, why cant nba make it players put skates on, and play on ice sheet in antarctica? Imagine that game in HD...
2 months ago
Bro, this is the best article I've read in a long time. I laughed, I cried, it moved me Bill. I will definitely miss my Sonics.
2 months ago
I'm not even necessarily a Sonics fan and I will miss them being in Seattle. I was a fan during the Gary Payton years and badly wanted them to beat the Bulls. Thanks Justin, I hope the court system works out in your favor.
No, I don't really think the NBA will play in Antarctica, but to be honest, I wouldn't put it past them. If they think they can make some coin by doing it, they will.
Same for the skates idea.
2 months ago
Bill,
Hilarious but also true, I live in Charlotte and the moving of the Hornets not only doomed the Hornets to be in a weak New Orleans market but it scared Charlotte fans and stacked the deck against the Bobcats. Fans here aren't happy we have a team they actively hate the Bobcats and many vocalize their desire for them to leave. They don't appreciate the chance to have a team or how that reflects upon the nations view of the city.
2 months ago
If you move the team to another city... you should be forced to start over-- new team name, colors, mascot etc. At the very least, it offers some novelty to the league and marketing chances for generate revenue. And it allows for the SuperSonics to stay the Seattle SuperSonics. I still miss the "Charlotte" Hornets. New Orleans? It's for drinking and partying and jazz music and French stuff.... I don't relate it to basketball.
2 months ago
There's a reason why the other professional basketball teams from New Orleans failed and moved away. I'm still not sure what the league was thinking moving the team there.
Actually, none of this would have happened if they wouldn't have moved the Hornets to New Orleans...the Bobcats wouldn't exist, the Hornets would've never been forced to play in Oklahoma City because of Katrina and the league wouldn't have been so willing to pay OC back for their hospitality.
The Bobcats are never going to be a hit in Charlotte. They have no real fan base and are selling off naming rights to everything to stay afloat. Pretty soon, they are going to have to sell the naming rights to the team.
from 2 months ago
I can see it now the Charlotte Clowns (McDonalds wins the rights over coke and nike)
2 months ago
Haha yes and they would have the Barnon and Bailey music as a theme song when they are coming out of the tunnel.
When they make a free throw the announcer would say, "Ba da da da da, I'm lovin' it."
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