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Post by Vegas on Jan 9, 2013 16:40:47 GMT -5
ESPN hasn't reported this yet, but it is all over the news in Seattle from what I am hearing from friends and family. If this indeed goes through, this will be perhaps the greatest news of the year for me:
Report: Sacramento Kings headed to Seattle
Capping a flurry of rumors that began Tuesday night, Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday that the Sacramento Kings are in the process of being sold to a group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer that would have the team playing in Seattle in 2013-14.
If this happens, the Kings will probably be renamed the Sonics (the Thunder had to leave the name, colors, etc behind as part of the deal to leave their lease with Seattle early in 2008.) According to the reports, the Kings/Sonics will start playing in Key Arena next season for the next 2 years as they build the new arena officially approved last year!
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Post by Crimson Cross on Jan 9, 2013 17:44:33 GMT -5
It'll be cool to see the Super Sonics return to Seattle and the NBA, they were one of my favorite west coast teams...
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Post by TTX on Jan 9, 2013 18:30:41 GMT -5
Seems ESPN and others are reporting it now.
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Post by Vegas on Jan 9, 2013 18:45:22 GMT -5
The Maloofs who own the Sacramento Kings also own the Palms casino here in Las Vegas and they have a history of changing their minds on business deals at the last minute. So I am waiting for the official confirmation before getting too excited.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is about to give a press conference.
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Post by Vegas on Jan 9, 2013 18:59:43 GMT -5
I am watching Kevin Johnson's press conference right now. He says he is going to try hard and find new local ownership to buy the team from the Maloofs and keep the team in Sacramento. But he also said he tried reaching out to the Maloofs today and neither one of them returned his call.
Personally, I would really prefer an expansion team instead of taking some other city's team. But hopefully there is a new Sonics team again one way or the other.
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Post by Big Bri on Jan 9, 2013 19:58:17 GMT -5
I watched the 30 for 30 special on the Sonics (I never realized they became the Thunder becaise I quit watching NBA over a decade ago). Wow, you guys got hosed big time. Hope the Sonics get revived in one way or another!
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Post by Tournament Master on Jan 10, 2013 9:56:53 GMT -5
Personally, I would really prefer an expansion team instead of taking some other city's team. But hopefully there is a new Sonics team again one way or the other. I was wondering if this was the case for Seattle fans, as Bill Simmons mentioned it would be hypocritical if Seattle fans took another city's team with no second thought. |
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Post by chewey on Jan 10, 2013 16:46:23 GMT -5
That's what people who haven't lost sports teams say. People in Baltimore weren't thrilled about stealing the Browns either after the Heartbreak of Bob Irsay sneaking away in the night with the Baltimore Colts in Mayflower trucks, but when the league voted to give Baltimore an expansion franchise in 1993 Jack Kent Cook of the Redskins blocked it - a reason why my dad still hates the Redskins today. The NBA wasn't going to expand anytime soon as sports leagues way over expanded in the late 90s so I wouldn't hold that against Seattle in any way at all.
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Post by Vegas on Jan 12, 2013 4:46:40 GMT -5
I am conflicted. I admit I really want this deal to go through to bring back the (rebranded) Sonics. OKC is NOT the Sonics- they are just the team that used to be the Sonics. They gave up the rights to the name, colors, logo, and history to escape the lease in Seattle 2 years early. But although I want this sale to go through, I really don't want it by taking away the only team in Sacramento. As a Sonics fan, I personally know how bad it feels to lose a team. I really want a Sonics team back- but not at anyone else's expense. Is it possible to to start a new Sonics team in Seattle without taking away a team from their existing city? That's all I want.  |
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Post by Vegas on Jan 12, 2013 5:28:29 GMT -5
report stating the deal to bring the team to Seattle was complete came from Matt Steinmetz, a longtime NBA reporter and sports talk-show host in the Bay Area. He reported that the transaction was "a done deal" and that the Maloof family, which owns the Kings, had agreed to sell the team to a group led by Chris Hansen for $525 million. That would be the most ever paid for an NBA franchise.
A Maloof family spokesman told The Times that he could not comment on the report.please notice that the Maloof spokesman did not deny this report  also, Kevin Calabro- the voice of the Sonics- said this week he got a text from someone who would know about the status of the negotiations. The text had one word-and that one word was "Done!" I really hope this is the case! The NBA has not been as good without the Sonics.
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