While George Karl is on the verge of leading the Denver Nuggets to their biggest playoff victory since Dikembe Mutombo was seen clutching the ball on his back chanting "Yes! We win!" in leading Denver to a shocking first-round win over the Sonics in 1994, Karl's former NBA city may be without basketball for good. When Oklahoma City Thunder chairman Clayton Bennett left Seattle without an NBA time after 41 years in July 2008, he promised to reward the city with $30 million if antiquated KeyArena was approved for refurbishing by the conclusion of 2009 and Seattle did not have a new team by 2013.
Well ... the city of Seattle and state of Washington had a juicy chance to stick it to Bennett where it hurts by passing Senate Bill 6116, which would have helped revive KeyArena to current NBA standards as well as a much-needed face lift for the University of Washington's Husky Stadium, which can't live off its gorgeous view of the Puget Sound forever.
Instead, the state of Washington legislature spent more time debating the bill than actually adjusting it and allowed the plan to basically die before being voted on. The legislative session ended two weeks ago without a vote and there is little chance for a special session to revive the bill. So not only did the city of Seattle ruin a chance to snatch $30 million from the despised Bennett, KeyArena will sit untouched indefinitely, making Seattle a much less attractive carrot for NBA owners looking to relocate their teams. NBA commissioner David Stern has repeated that expansion is out of the question for now, especially with so many clubs struggling financially.
A rebuilt KeyArena would have allowed Seattle to emerge as a No. 1 option for NBA relocation and the Puget Sound would have seen a return of the Sonics before 2020. Now with CB 6116 lying dead on Interstate 5, the NBA will be nothing more than dying memories in Seattle. If the year ends without a passed bill to rebuild KeyArena, Bennett retains his $30 million and is essentially proven right on his assertions that Washington was not prepared to keep the Sonics.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-12-2009 @ 10:14PM
MenoRikey said...
wow, this sounds like something Cleveland would do, not Seattle.
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5-13-2009 @ 9:26AM
matthew said...
With all due respect, with massive economic crisis and the accompanying budget crisis, "sticking" it to Clay Bennett out of spite when it would STILL cost taxpayers money is not good government.
I really hope the NBA returns to Seattle, but this should not be a budgetary priority right now. $30 million is a drop in the bucket compared to how much that stuff ends up costing.
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5-13-2009 @ 8:26PM
DJ Pleasure said...
there should be a team in Kansas City and they should be named the Strappers
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5-15-2009 @ 2:18PM
bradgnoyes said...
As a Seattle sports fan I am perfectly happy with the Seahawks, Mariners, and Sounders. I have lost all interest in and respect for the NBA. I am glad we will not be spending tax payer's money on a sports team when there are far more pressing issues at hand in the city, state, and nation. Keeping the NBA out of Seattle is fine with me. There's more to life than watching millionaires play games.
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5-18-2009 @ 4:19AM
Ray F said...
I'm also a Seattle Sports Fan AND an 18 year Sonics season ticket holder. The above poster is in the minority and likely never much of an NBA fan to begin with.
There is actually a very strong likelihood of a Special Session in September as the legislators need to be in Olympia anyway.
As for the $30 Million, it likely wouldn't be paid anyway as the league would then bend over backwards to help Ballmer and CO relocate a team. It would be nice to make'em sweat though.
The sad part in all of this is if our Mayor had stood by his PROMISE and upheld the lease the team would likely have been sold to Ballmer already as the financial fortunes of the OKC ownership group have taken a downturn to say the least.
Oh, and as for the taxes in question? Their Hotel/Car rental taxes that are already being collected. There would be no new taxes and Seattle citizens would likely contribute next to nothing to them...tourists would.
No one is arguing that there are important issues to tackle here but this tax stream couldn't be used for those things anyway without changing the state constitution.
BTW "bradgnoyes", The M's and Seahawks are mostly Millionaires to and we also have the Storm!
The Mayor is up for reelection in November and I see this coming to a head!
-Ray F
STH: Sonics (18 years), Seahawks, SoundersFC, Storm.
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5-19-2009 @ 1:46PM
mcchewy1 said...
As a Seattle sports Fan, you have to realize that there is a void left down the hill from Queen Anne.
I think what is the most frustrating is that the tax wouldn't really affect many of native Washingtonians and that 30 million would likely leave us with more money than it would cost us.
All that being said, the Key is a shithole. . . the place has only one loading dock and is home to the Rat City Rollergirls. . . It is not even fitting for a NBDL team let alone a NBA team.
That being said I think that it is fair to say that most Seattle fans are bandwagon fans. As much as people like the earlier poster talk about how they are Sounders, Seahwaks, and Mariners fans. It is only because of the teams recent success.
The Sounders are a new child emergining on the scene. . . Seattle has yet to deal with the fact that they lost their NBA team and yet to realize that they are an inferior good, because when Montero or Ljurgenburg leaves, they will realize as good as a soccer club can be, the best is still in UEFA. All that being said I do like the Sounders, and their marketing has been really impressive
The Seahawks are a few years removed from their SB loss. . . Was anyone a fan when Ken Behring was attempting to move them in the early 2000's?
The same thing with the Mariners. was anyone a fan before Griffey saved them?
All that being said these Franchises all play at elite ball parks so that when the games suck. . . and this year they have the venue is still nice.
The Sonics, contrastly, had by all accounts the worst venue in the NBA. While they never really struggled until they decided to rebuild, the decision to rebuild came to late and no one wanted to see it. It is impossible to cheer on a middling franchise, much easier to look for hope for next year in a struggling team.
Look at the Milwukee Bucks of the world.
All that being said, local leadership must step up and at least use that 30 million dollars to make the Key a viable venue for concerts and WHL (even the T-Birds have left). Local ownership groups should re- emerge and purchase a Winter Franchise(wheter NHL or NBA) to give us hope in Seattle as a Sports town and Cultural hub. All that being said "memmories made it the Coldest Winter'- Kanye West
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