They should’ve never lost their team in the first place!! I don’t know what the hell the NBA was thinking when allowing them to move, and to a much smaller market like Oklahoma City, nonetheless!! I’ve never been to Seattle, and never was a fan, but I could always tell that they had a pretty passionate fan base. I always enjoyed watching them play the Trail Blazers back in the 90s. It was definitely one of the most underrated rivalries in all of sports.
@blacksunshine1089 it's simple. The league needed the money. Bennett had the money, so he pulled a fast one, knowing he had all the leverage. He knew Stern couldn't tell him no, too much was at stake.
@@blacksunshine1089the franchise made more money in Okc and the NBA definitely benefits. OKC is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation and believe by 2030 it’ll be top 15 in population in the United States. They 100% did not make a mistake going to OKC. But I will agree how the Sonics left was terrible. And how behind it the league was is pretty crazy
@@Michael-uu7zqsame here and I think that’s going to happen when Seattle gets the Sonics back through expansion and give all the Sonics records to the new franchise and treat the Thunder as an expansion team similar to the Charlotte and New Orleans situation.
The NBA's just following the NHL around now. The NBA disrespected Las Vegas and Seattle for so long and it's only after the NHL comes to town and turns them into hockey towns that the NBA starts taking them seriously.
@@jumpy2xstreaming Football is obviously king in basically every city in America. That doesn't change the fact that Las Vegas has a special connection with their Knights.
@@jumpy2xstreaming Vegas might not be a traditional NHL city but they are doing a lot better in attendance then some other cities. Most people make a weekend out of it and go see a game and show. The Knights have been very successful for an expansion team.
Lol at this narrative. Nobody was serious about Vegas until the NFL started talking about going. NHL just happened to get there 1st cause it's cheaper and the NFL didn't want to expand to do it. NBA had been trying to get the Kings or the Clippers to move to Seattle since 2010. NBA office was wrong in how the OKC move went down but let's not gas it. The amount of crying Seattle has been doing over the last 15 years about the Sonics....even calling them a "hockey town" is hilariously disrespectful.
Climate pledge isn’t really a renovated arena. It’s new. They just kept the roof. The old arena was completely demolished and removed. And they built a brand new arena where key arena used to be. But they kept the roof and attached it to the new arena.
@@dreamcage1801 yeah it does. I originally thought it was stupid to spend that much money to save the roof, but now I get it. I hadn’t really been to Seattle center much before the kraken started playing so I didn’t really appreciate the history.
Its' not ideal for NBA though, the sight lines are designed for Hockey, and while similar it does make a difference. There are a few plots of land South of the strip they can build a new area on.
@@scotttild yeah lets spend another billion dollars when theres already an arena there. if the NBA wants to build one with their own money sure they can do that. But to think the city of vegas/people of vegas would do it is simply the stupid.
My one wish is that when Seattle does get the Supersonics back, the history of the Supersonics gets returned to them, too. Remember, the Sonics won the NBA Championship in 1979. Even if the Sonics come back in the form of an expansion team, the NBA can't pretend the '79 title never happened. Nor can the NBA pretend the Sonics never existed from 1967-2008.
It will. The deal that helped get OKC their team early in 2008 was that Seattle keeps the history and Sonics name when they get an expansion team awarded
You should have mentioned that the NBA is still in negotiations for a new media rights deal (that ends after this current season - I think). Once they have a new media rights deal with whomever network(s) or streaming services, the NBA will announce expansion. This has been heavily rumored for years now. & yes it’s obvious it’ll be Seattle & Las Vegas
Pacific - Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Golden State Southwest - LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Las Vegas, Phoenix Northwest - Utah, Denver, Oklahoma City, Memphis Gulf - Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans Central - Minnesota, Milwaukee, Chicago, Indiana Northeast - Detroit, Cleveland, Washington, Philadelphia Atlantic - Toronto, New York, Brooklyn, Boston Southeast - Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami
I think it makes more sense if the Timberwolves went to the Midwest and instead the grizzlies go central. The distance between Minneapolis and Salt Lake City is 984 miles compared over 1200 miles from Memphis to Salt Lake City. In addition, the distance from Denver to Memphis is 877 miles compared to 698 for Minneapolis. Yes this means that the bulls and bucks would need to make longer journeys but at least these distances are more manageable compared to if the grizzlies stayed in the west.
Move the Timberwolves to the Central Division in the NBA where they would have a rivalry with the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, and Indiana Pacers who are in the Eastern Conference in the Central Division
Vancouver and Seattle's situation are so similar and yet Vancouver doesn't seem to be in any serious talks of getting a team back. We cannot neglect Canada.
How does Mexico City’s elevation play factor in NBA basketball? Denver and Salt Lake City are both located in high elevations. Mexico City currently has multiple soccer teams and has hosted NFL, NBA and MLB games in the past. Crime may be a factor but DC, Philly, Detroit and NO all have high crime rates. If a fanbase with financial means is an issue, Mexico City has an affluent social class with lots of $$ to spend. Also Mexico is home to many North Americans, Europeans and Asians that would love another pro sports team.
When it comes to DC, Philadelphia, Detroit, and New Orleans, then crime is concentrated in the cities themselves. One doesn’t have to worry about being targeted by cartels in any of those cities like they would in Mexico. They’d definitely have an issue convincing players to want to move their families down there.
If the Sonics do come back, I will have a favorite team again, not just a top team. I got a love of sports from my dad when I was young! We lived west of Seattle. Although I'm a now fan of all the Seattle teams, pro and college, the Sonics are the only Seattle team that I have been a fan of my whole life. I've even lived in Oregon for the past 22 1/2 years, but I am loyal to my Seattle teams! I've got a file on my computer titled, "2025 US/Canada pro teams beginning in." The Seattle teams are the top teams in each of the leagues. I hope they bring back the Sonics!!!!
I honestly feel that if u expanding 2 large markets they need to expand to some small markets. Maybe something like Vegas, Seattle, Vancouver, Omaha, Tampa bay, Orlando, KC, St. Louis. Maybe Winnipeg.
If Vegas is building an arena complex of sorts, they should do what the NHL did, add 1 team (in this case it would be Seattle) have them play for a couple of years, then once Vegas’s new arena is done being built, you can add Vegas as a team.
Please bring back the Sonics with the Supersonic name and their uniform the same as it was when they left Seattle ..... Also add the History so they are not starting new again
Mid 90s Kemp and Payton got me hooked on the NBA and I loved the Sonics... then they just vanished! There would of been major riots had that happen in England. I'm still pissed!!
I always hated it when the NBA expanded. Seemed to dilute the existing teams for years as they lost players to the expansion draft and then the expansion teams were so bad for 5-10 years that they got all the high draft picks.
Mexico City is a great option and is really safe. Altitude isn’t a problem either. Not like teams don’t play in Denver. Do a little more research. Seattle and Vegas are both great options.
Cincinnati, Ohio would be also be in the Eastern Conference if they were to get an NBA expansion franchise team or if the Pelicans relocate to Cincinnati
Whether or not we get our team back(I'm hoping so!), i love the fact that it's a guarantee we're going with our original name. That Charlotte Bobcats rebrand was atrocious lol
Other cities besides Seattle and Vegas that should get teams would be Cincinnati Pittsburgh Kansas City and Nashville and other runner ups Vancouver Montreal Buffalo A second team in Chicago and San Diego
It’s gonna be 6 expansions team like it was in the late 80s to the mid 90s Kansas City, San Diego, Montreal and Louisville are gonna get a team probably
@@dreamcage1801 exactly. Last I heard they aren't interested in San Diego anymore. KC, Louisville or St. Louis, a 2nd Canadian team and a team in Mexico.
Seattle and Las Vegas as the 31st and 32nd NBA franchises. Have Vancouver BC as Seattle's NBA G League affiliate and Henderson, Nevada as Las Vegas' G League squad.
I truthfully believe that the top 6 expansion teams will be Seattle, Vegas, Montreal, Kansas City, San Diego, and Louisville. Kansas City had some solid history with the Kings when fans supported them at their best. Montreal has a bunch of basketball fans now and they are growing more thanks to the youngbloods. San Diego needs more sports despite an MLS team coming there since the Chargers left town which was a mistake to be real with you all. Louisville getting the Colonels back would be priceless because they had a nice ABA team in the 70s should have merged with the NBA long ago. Montreal and Louisville - eastern conference Seattle, Vegas, San Diego and Kansas City - western conference
That was an underfunded group that was trying for 10 years. The legit group is Oak View, who is run by the guy from AEG. They won't have trouble getting funding.
Seattle, Vegas and Vancouver as the 3rd team. Many people in Vancouver still want their team back, which has been clear in their documentaries. Obviously the Sonics should have have left Seattle and their massively upgraded arena will be a great NBA venue. They can move New Orleans and Memphis to the East as Memphis is far more East than Minneapolis - or relocate the Memphis Grizzlies back to Vancouver since fan support really have been poor the last few years there.
Las Vegas Jokers or Sin City Scorpions have been floated around as potential names. I like the use of Sin City in the name similar to how the Warriors use Golden State in theirs.
That actually would be pretty cool, even Las Vegas Scorpions is okay too, a very intimidating type of name for sure. They could go red and black for the team colors, put Las Vegas for the road (jersey color black), Scorpions for the home text (white jersey) and have an alternative red uniform that has the scorpion logo in the middle (insert front player number somewhere inside the logo) and have Sin City above it for the text. Black for the road, white for home, and red for alternative.
That was my whole point. The smallest market with all 4 teams is Denver and it has one million more people than Vegas. KC is the way to go. They have an arena and there is no NBA team for hundreds of miles.
@@carlgemlich1657 Did I say that? I’m saying the market is too small to have four sports! The Raiders are stuck there! I don’t know how they will do it!
1 Because they would be tenants and tenants don't get the revenue except for NBA game days. 2. T Mobile is designed for NHL and while not huge the sight lines change for NBA games and its not ideal. The WNBA makes no revenue and is subsidized by the NBA so it matters not where they play. An NBA team wants its own Arena but yes it could work at T Mobile just not ideal.
Virginia deserves a team. Its crazy one of the bigger states on the east coast doesnt have a team. Maryland, DC, Massachusetts, Carolina, Georgia are smaller than Virginia. Especially Massachusetts and DC and they have major sports teams. I will never understand it 🤦🏽♂️
The Oklahoma City thunder owner owns the right to use the supersonics name shows the Seattle ownership group would have to sell the branding in the name the names, Seattle Supersonics, the ownership group
After the new media deal is set and done and they’ll expand between 2-4 cities which means Pittsburgh is one of them since they tons of money up to try to get a NBA team.
It seems like whatever’s hot floats a billionaire’s boat but why are we forgetting Kansas City? Seattle and KC deserves it more than any other city bc both cities lost their teams and it wasn’t even the fans’ fault. Please Adam Silver 🙏
That is 100% completely false. Las Vegas recycles ever drop of water that goes down a drain. Best in the WORLD. Las Vegas uses 1% of the water of the Colorado. CA and AZ use 45% each. Las Vegas has ample ground water also which is why it was founded. Phoenix has zero. If any city has a potential problem, its Phoenix but no one ever talks about them. Las Vegas will never, ever run out of water. By LAW, Nevada gets priority over the Colorado over other states. If there's a cut back, Nevada is LAST.
Never understood people opining for rainy ass Seattle! I don't care that they had a team 16 years ago! The proposed new stadium in Vegas will be by _The Silverton Hotel!_
Seattle desreves their team back but San Diego a metro area of almost 5 million people desreves a team back too. San Diego is the original city of the Houston Rockets. They were sold and moved to Houston in 1971. The Cluppers were never embraced in San Diego as owner Donald Sterling was a cheapskate and didn't care about winning. Clippers weren't originally from San Diego either they moved to San Diego from Buffalo where they were the Buffalo Braves. There needs to be more teams out west as the eastern and central time zones have plenty of teams. San Diego is also building new arena and entertainment district.
I'm pretty sure the only reason they are in the western conference is because they used to play in Vancouver so putting them in the west back then made sense but they just never changed it after they moved
Why not Richmond? I mean, the interest is neutral so that could go either way but having an NBA team in the capital city of Virginia could really draw quite some attention even for as small as the population is. The team name could be something like involving historical references since there is a very rich history (no pun intended) involving Richmond as a whole city even before the United States was formed.
@@dvferyance That’s right around a 2 hour drive. Heck the Colts and Bengals are 2 hours apart yet that works out well. Green Bay has a population just over 100,000 yet the Packers are still going so size is not going to be an issue. New Orleans (the current smallest market NBA city) is bigger than Richmond but still bigger than Green Bay so it’s not impossible for an NBA team to be placed there in Virginia’s capital.
@@lakerskid2013 If Virgina is going to have a team it's going to be in the Hampton Roads area. Cincinati and Indianapolis are two similarly sized cities DC is far bigger than Richmond.
@@master-kq3nwI know someone who has some insider knowledge and that is the time frame they told me. They are just wanting for the TV deal to be finalized. Expansion fee would be around $3B
@@WestCoasting206I’m curious to see how they treat the new SuperSonics as to if they do the New Orleans/Charlotte agreement in terms of record keeping, like Oklahoma City gets declared as a new team while Seattle is put down as suspended operations from 2008 to the year that they got their team back. I think it’s going to be very interesting to see how the NBA does that since they’ve done it before and the NFL did the same for the Cleveland Browns after the original Browns left for Baltimore to become the Ravens
Everybody keeps talking about Mexico City, when there's perfectly good city in Monterrey that much closer to the border and has the infrastructure to house a team there. I know MC is far bigger but still.
I believe the top 5 expansion teams in this order are Las Vegas, Seattle, Louisville, Kansas City, and St. Louis. Kansas City and St. Louis already have history with the Kings and Hawks playing in those cities respectively so I think that helps the case so much for them and as far as Louisville, the KFC Yum Center is already a place an NBA team can go to at minimum in terms of seating capacity. For a 6th team, I would put in Richmond as a wild card for expansion to 36 teams if the NBA decided to go that far instead of just increasing to 32. Conference realignment for a 32-team NBA I can see the New Orleans Pelicans being the team that moves on East. They would reside in the Southeast Division and then Washington could get moved to the Atlantic Division. Seattle goes to the Northwest, Las Vegas goes to the Pacific (as the Golden Knights are in the NHL as well), and I believe Phoenix and Oklahoma City both get moved to the Southwest.
@@dvferyance Louisville has more than enough support there, especially with how passionate they are with their Cardinals there. I understand it’s a college versus pros comparison but there definitely is something there and Kansas City if anything might get an NHL team first over NBA because of the Arizona Coyotes situation, although of course there can be a shared arena there.
Yes give Seattle back their team. As far as other expansion idk. I mean the talent pool is already thinned out. But who cares I don’t even watch this new NBA crap-o-la. BUT Seattle deserves the Sonics back.
Hopefully Seattle can get the Sonics name back from OKC. I would think that they could come to some agreement to get that trademark back. And no the City of Seattle does not own that name, all the colors names and everything went with OKC when they moved. They need the Sonics name and colors from the 70s back.
@@everythingcollectibles It all depends if OKC is reasonable on the value of the name. Right now they own everything but its sitting in a dust bin collecting dust. It would be like Houston wanting to go back to the Oilers. How much is it going to cost to get the name and trademark back. I would like to see them get all the stats and the enter team history back as well. NBA needs to do Seattle a solid. I would love to see Houston go back to the Oilers colors.
@@bryan89wr And they don't have a good enough CBA to make a team in Vancouver profitable. It is hard for a Canada franchise to compete with teams based in the U.S for a number of reasons.
What’s the chance they actually make the SuperSonics I’m not talking a remake I’m saying a legit copy and paste from the 90s it would be so easy for them to automatically have a fan base but knowing sports leagues they will have a whole new team name and logo and everything and it will look generic and terrible
Las Vegas is too small. After the newness ends, Vegas will have to totally rely on tourist or fans from visiting team. Las Vegas is a two professional league city. Too small.
I somewhat agree. I think Vegas could support an NBA team, but San Diego would be a better option seeing as it's bigger than Las Vegas, and it only has 1 major sports team at the moment.
@@KINGPOOPS San Diego albeit is a great vacation spot, is a terrible sports town. Baseball is all they want, maybe soccer in the near future but that's it.
I would like Canadian cities to come up more often in these NBA expansion discussions. Aside from Seattle and Vegas, they’re more deserving than most US cities and they’re more desirable places to live, imo. Places like KC or STL or Nashville or another (insert random US city here) can just drive a few hours to another US city to see a game but many Canadian fans (outside of Southern Ontario) don’t have that luxury. Western Canada in particular has a growing population and fairly strong economy but has had no NBA team since 2001 and will most likely have to hop on a plane to see an NBA game. The league wants to go global and with Canada’s diverse population, they would have a much better chance of expanding their global fanbase than in other US cities (NFL/MLB competition) or Mexico City (distance from other teams).
I'll give you Nashville but one of St Louis or KC should get a team because the closest city to them is Memphis and even that's just over a 4 hour drive. It's 4 hours between them so not ideal
I just don’t get Vegas, like it’s in the middle of nowhere, I understand tourism where people will catch a game or two but we should really give to the city where local and nearby fans actually want to go
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