General NBA thread

[Henry]

The Thunder's situation is on par with other sports relocations/rebrands (see Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens, Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals--although Montreal is now dead--and Charlotte Bobcats-Hornets/New Orleans Hornets-Pelicans as examples). As it stands out, if the Thunder win the NBA championship this season, it will be their first ever, as the Seattle SuperSonics history would be separate from their own, including the 1979 title. But as the 2016 NBA Finals has shown us, along with Super Bowl XLII, nothing is guaranteed, as both those contests had what was arguably the best team ever actually losing at the worst possible time. OTOH, if the Pacers somehow break through as the underdog and steal the Thunder's, well, thunder, they'll be the first team ever to win championships in both the ABA and NBA, which neither the San Antonio Spurs nor Denver Nuggets have done.

[Max Rockatansky]

Let's be real, no amount of spin is going to change the fact that the Sonics and the Thunder are the same franchise. 

[jgb191]

I think this Finals will be closer contest than most people think....I'll say Thunder win in six games, with Game 6 going down to the wire.  Pacers have a coaching advantage; Rick Carlisle is great at making adjustments during a series.  Plus Rick (Mavericks 2011) and Pascal Siakam (Raptors 2019) have invaluable championship experience that I believe can keep the Pacers alive and extend the series.  Ultimately, I still believe defense win championships so I have to go with the Thunder.

And it will be nice to see one of these cities to win the O'Brien Trophy for their first time ever.  Indianapolis has celebrated a championship with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI, while OKC has yet to celebrate anything in that city's history.

[JayhawkCO]

Thibs got canned.

[Henry]

I'm sure everyone in Seattle is going to root for the Pacers to retaliate against the team that broke their hearts 17 years ago. They also rooted for the Heat in 2012 and got vindicated big-time.

[Bobby5280]

The Seattle metro has a shit-ton of money. Yet they expected the SuperSonics to just keep playing in crappy Key Arena. They lost the team because they were unwilling to help fund a new, modern arena worthy of hosting NBA games. OKC had such a facility with the then-new Ford Center (now Paycom Center).

BTW, OKC recently approved building a new arena for the Thunder, to be built in place of the old Cox Convention Center across the street from Paycom Center.

[SEWIGuy]

The Seattle metro has a shit-ton of money. Yet they expected the SuperSonics to just keep playing in crappy Key Arena. They lost the team because they were unwilling to help fund a new, modern arena worthy of hosting NBA games. OKC had such a facility with the then-new Ford Center (now Paycom Center).

BTW, OKC recently approved building a new arena for the Thunder, to be built in place of the old Cox Convention Center across the street from Paycom Center.

Key Arena was completely renovated just over a decade before the Sonics moved. Futhermore, it was pretty obvious from the beginning that Clay Bennett had no intention of operating in good faith. Even when local officals agreed to fund a portion of a new arena, he gave the state about five week deadline to fund its portion at a time when the legislature wasn't even in session.

What's done is done, but your post reads like it was written by the Thunder PR department.

[Max Rockatansky]

The Seattle metro has a shit-ton of money. Yet they expected the SuperSonics to just keep playing in crappy Key Arena. They lost the team because they were unwilling to help fund a new, modern arena worthy of hosting NBA games. OKC had such a facility with the then-new Ford Center (now Paycom Center).

BTW, OKC recently approved building a new arena for the Thunder, to be built in place of the old Cox Convention Center across the street from Paycom Center.

Key Arena was completely renovated just over a decade before the Sonics moved. Futhermore, it was pretty obvious from the beginning that Clay Bennett had no intention of operating in good faith. Even when local officals agreed to fund a portion of a new arena, he gave the state about five week deadline to fund its portion at a time when the legislature wasn't even in session.

What's done is done, but your post reads like it was written by the Thunder PR department.

Can you blame the guy though for being a homer on the one major professional franchise his market has?  The Thunder being one of the best NBA franchises since moving out of Seattle probably makes things extra rose tinted in the Oklahoma market. 

To that end I'm conflicted on this Finals.  I would enjoy seeing OKC win because it was tarnish the legacy of Kevin Durant further and being something very different.  Then against Indianapolis is a small market also and doesn't have the Super Sonics exit from Seattle baggage.

[SEWIGuy]

The Seattle metro has a shit-ton of money. Yet they expected the SuperSonics to just keep playing in crappy Key Arena. They lost the team because they were unwilling to help fund a new, modern arena worthy of hosting NBA games. OKC had such a facility with the then-new Ford Center (now Paycom Center).

BTW, OKC recently approved building a new arena for the Thunder, to be built in place of the old Cox Convention Center across the street from Paycom Center.

Key Arena was completely renovated just over a decade before the Sonics moved. Futhermore, it was pretty obvious from the beginning that Clay Bennett had no intention of operating in good faith. Even when local officals agreed to fund a portion of a new arena, he gave the state about five week deadline to fund its portion at a time when the legislature wasn't even in session.

What's done is done, but your post reads like it was written by the Thunder PR department.

Can you blame the guy though for being a homer on the one major professional franchise his market has?  The Thunder being one of the best NBA franchises since moving out of Seattle probably makes things extra rose tinted in the Oklahoma market.

Then he should just say "they're my team and I'm rooting them no matter what." Don't try to whitewash the fact that the owner engaged in pretty sh*tty tactics to take a team away from its fanbase. Just own it.

[jgb191]

I was hoping -- after the surprising success of OKC housing the Hornets during the Katrina recovery years -- that OKC would host a pro sports team.  Though I was hoping for an expansion team and not pulling a team that was seemingly well-supported by fans of Seattle-Tacoma area.  I think 32 teams looks like the ideal number for the NBA (adding OKC and perhaps a city like Baltimore).

As for the Knicks firing Tibbs:  There could be -- and I stress could be -- factors that are out of the public view such as A. clashing of the coach and management (perhaps ownership or players sided against Tibbs);  B. While Tibbs is a fine coach his lack of utilizing his bench could have worn his starters and maybe burned them out (which may have led to point A;  C.  Knicks are perhaps looking for a new voice like Frank Vogel, Mike Malone, Mike Brown, Mike Buddenholzer all good coaches in their own right.

I wouldn't rule out Giannis going to New York City.  Word on the street has it that he prefers to stay in the East and play for a bigger media market.  Perhaps the Knicks can get a trade package going to Milwaukee that included KAT and other players for Giannis. 

[SEWIGuy]

I wouldn't rule out Giannis going to New York City.  Word on the street has it that he prefers to stay in the East and play for a bigger media market.  Perhaps the Knicks can get a trade package going to Milwaukee that included KAT and other players for Giannis. 

As a pretty big Bucks fan, Giannis has never given any indication that he wants to go to a larger market. He has been absolutely fine with Milwaukee as long as they are competitive.

Now if he doesn't think they are competitive any longer, there are certain places that he could demand a trade to AND would have assets to make it worth it. And its doubtful that the Knicks would have what it takes.

It would need to be a team with numerous first round picks and/or young talent. Something like Houston, San Antonio or the Nets. The Knicks have no picks, and it certainly isn't going to be for players like KAT, who would give the Bucks no flexibility cap wise.

[Bobby5280]

What's done is done, but your post reads like it was written by the Thunder PR department.

If you think I'm spinning things I could accuse you of the same for implying the Sonics' exit from Seattle was all abrupt and unfair. I'm not going to listen with a smile on my face to any "the Thunder deserves to lose because..." crap involving that past controversy. Fans in Seattle can go pound sand if they want to hate on the Thunder. They voted for the team to leave.

Key Arena was built in 1962. Its renovation took place during the 1993-94 NBA season, 14 years before the November 2007 announcement the SuperSonics would move to OKC. The renovation to Key Arena cost $73 million, which was considerably less than what other new arenas cost at the time. The renovation came a few years after efforts to build a new arena in the late 1980's and going into the 1990's failed.

In 2006 Seattle residents voted 74% to 26% to pass Initiative 91, which banned the use of tax dollars on arena projects unless the city could prove it would return a profit on the investment. That is a pretty wide margin of victory. That election among other factors doomed the SuperSonics' future in Seattle city limits. Clay Bennet tried pushing a proposal to build a new $500 million arena nearby in Renton. That went nowhere. His next option was to move the team.

The only controversial thing that happened was the Sonics getting out of their lease with Key Arena 3 years early. Seattle would have still lost the team even if they stayed at Key Arena til 2010.

If there is anyone or anything to blame for OKC getting an NBA team, blame it on Hurricane Katrina. That terrible storm caused the New Orleans Hornets to temporarily move to OKC and play in the Ford Center. When the Hornets played there OKC proved beyond any doubt it could support an NBA team.