OKLAHOMA CITYûNBA commissioner David Stern shot down a proposal by a group of Seattle businessmen seeking to renovate KeyArena in order to keep the SuperSonics in the city. Stern said the NBA does not view a renovation as a solution because the site could
”The reason that this journey began was because KeyArena was not an adequate arena going forward and there were a lot of recommendations made for another arena … but the tax revenues and the various contributions weren’t forthcoming,” Stern said while taking questions about an NBA relocation subcommittee’s recommendation to move the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City.
”I would say that as far as we know, the footprint of Key is at present time not viewed as adequate to support what’s necessary going forward.” Stern said he believes the footprint of KeyArena is only between 300,000 and 400,000 square feet, as compared to the 580,000 square feet of OklahomaCity’s Ford Center that will extend even farther during planned renovations. A group including Microsoft Corp.
Chief Executive Steve Ballmer has floated a proposal to buy the Sonics and pay half of a $300 million renovation plan, in the hope that the city of Seattle and state of Washington would split the remainder of the cost. SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett has repeatedly said his team is not for sale.
”As far as I know, we have owners there that own the team and they have told us based on the present state of their record and their inability to get any assistance up to this point that the team is not for sale and the application to move has been made,” Stern said. Bennett has also said that KeyArena in any form won’t work for the Sonics or the league.
”KeyArena is not a viable NBA arena. A remodeled KeyArena is not a viable NBA arena,” Bennett said in October. The SuperSonics’ lease requires them to play in Seattle through the end of the 2009-10, although Bennett is seeking to break the agreement in federal court. Bennett said his ownership group is ”prepared to engage in the trial” and abide by the judge’s ruling.
After failing to secure a new, $500 million arena he was seeking in Seattle, Bennett said the Sonics ”don’t have a prayer of succeeding in KeyArena.”
”I absolutely know a team can survive and be profitable in Oklahoma City. “It needs to be understood that in this market that Oklahoma City is a viable, growing market,” Bennett said in Seattle in October. ”
… It will work and it will certainly work a lot better than it is here today.” New Jersey Nets owner Lewis Katz, Los Angeles Lakers vice president Jeanie Buss and Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon said that they would recommend that the NBA’s relocation committee approve the SuperSonics’ request to move to Oklahoma City. The NBA Board of Governors will vote April 18 on the proposal.
”There’s no question in my mind that they’re coming. It’s just a question of when,” Katz said. ”The hope is that somebody makes the appropriate approach from Seattle, people get together, they sit down, they make a deal and everybody walks away with something good for their community. ”Hopefully, Seattle will then realize that the NBA is not walking away from it.”
Stern said he would be available to help Bennett and the city of Seattle if they were to negotiate a settlement ”but there’s a lease to be honored, there’s a court deciding whether that lease can be honored by a payment or has to be honored by the team being physically there.”
”I think there may or may not be discussion to have about a fair settlement for both sides, and I’m certainly in favor of helping them look for some fair resolution,” Stern said.
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