Could the SuperSonic’s be moving out of Seattle?
A press conference was held in Seattle yesterday, and it was announced that the majority of the Seattle SuperSonics and WNBA Storm were sold to an investment group from Oklahoma City.
This would be a great answer to what will happen when the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets go back to New Orleans after this next season. NBA Commissioner David Stern told us here in Oklahoma City that chances were really good that we would end up with a NBA franchise sometime after the 2007 season when the Hornets were due to return to new Orleans after the rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
With this news being reported it would point to the Sonics being the NBA team that would play in the downtown Oklahoma City, Ford Center. In first season the Hornets were here they sold out or nearly sold out 35 home games. The same is expected for the up coming season before they head back to New Orleans.
After listening to the press conference on my way home from work yesterday I believe there is a very strong possibility that after the upcoming season the Sonics will be playing in OKC, OK. The new ownership group chaired by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett, said that he plans to give it a go in Seattle and they plan to negotiate a deal with the city to make it work in Seattle. But, many here in Oklahoma City are reading between the lines and seeing that ultimately the Sonics will be relocated to Oklahoma City in the near future.
It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for an Oklahoma based investment group to purchase the NBA Sonics and WNBA Storm and then not move them to Oklahoma City. With the Hornets leaving to go back to New Orleans after this coming season and the success that the owner had here in Oklahoma City, it is obvious that our market can support a NBA franchise.
I guess only time will tell what will happen with the Sonics and Storm, but I am hoping that they make the move to Oklahoma City.
