December 16, 2006
Unions a key part of Sonics issue
OLYMPIA -- For the Democrats who question the value of spending tax dollars on a new sports arena for the Seattle Sonics and Storm, the unions that helped put them in office have an answer: jobs.
August 14, 2006
Renton likely out as Sonics' new home
The developer controlling the lakeside land considered Renton's best shot for wooing the Seattle Sonics says it is no longer interested.
JULY 25, 2006
Allen disappointed but optimistic
Ray Allen, the face of the Sonics franchise and the team's highest-paid player, said he remains optimistic that the Sonics will remain in Seattle and play in a new arena.
JULY 22, 2006
Response to Sonics sale a tricky read
Many people say the civic shrug to the Sonics reflects Seattle's confidence as a major-league city that no longer needs an NBA team. But have we become smug?
Walker says he'll work to keep teams in town
Even as fans and the media piled on the criticism of Wally Walker this week following the sale of the Sonics, the team's president and chief executive was incredibly upbeat Friday. Walker talked with the P-I about the sale of the Sonics.
Sonics ticket sales brisk despite sale
Whether it's nostalgia or hedging bets for the future, season ticket sales for the Sonics have been surprisingly brisk this week.
23,900 sign petition to block KeyArena financing
Seattle activist group Citizens for More Important Things turned in 23,900 signatures Friday in support of Initiative 91, which would block taxpayer financing of a KeyArena renovation.
Drown sorrow at some other coffee joint
Robert L. Jamieson: Starbucks honcho Howard Schultz chose to sell the Sonics to out-of-towners. Now, fans are choosing not to buy Starbucks coffee. A brewing boycott is the latest twist on a company some folks love to hate. Take that, "Mr. Coffee."
JULY 21, 2006
Sonics' new owners sensitive to backlash
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Only three days into his new life as a professional basketball team owner, Clay Bennett feels misunderstood, mistrusted and, to a degree, mistreated.
Sonics solutions in sight if stomachs stay strong
Art Thiel: It's been a healthy vent. Now what?
Uptown looking at leaner times
If the Sonics and Storm left Seattle, the economic effect would be most dramatic near KeyArena, possibly crippling the dozen or so bars and restaurants there. But the effects would diminish into insignificance farther away, experts say.
JULY 20, 2006
Will teams stay, play in Bellevue?
Prominent businessman Kemper Freeman, Bellevue's biggest booster for moving the Sonics to the Eastside, said his Wednesday conversation with the team's new owners left him more optimistic than ever that it might land there.
Oklahoma City is positively giddy
Oklahoma City is thrilled by the news that local investors have purchased Seattle's only two championship teams. The city has been revitalizing its downtown in preparation for a sought-after new status: permanent NBA venue.
Jamieson: Sonics are as good as gone
Do you want to know the truth about what the sale of the Sonics means for the future? Just follow the telltale blanks.
Q & A: Skepticism baffles incoming owner
Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett, the incoming managing partner of the Seattle Sonics, was taken aback by the skepticism surrounding his pledge to keep the city's oldest franchise in Seattle.
Analysis: NBA will be watching
So it seems the city of Seattle, despite its traditionally staunch support of its professional teams, including 18 years of watching Mariners baseball before a playoff appearance, painful years of witnessing the Seahawks in the cavernous Kingdome and patience with the Sonics despite their maddening inconsistency and questionable management, has been asked to validate its dedication yet again.
Sonics' situation mimics Hornets
Consider the Hornets' move from Charlotte when pondering what's next for the Sonics.
Storm watches -- and waits
The Storm's potential move to Oklahoma City could have a negative effect on the team's efforts to retain All-Stars Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird.
Go 2 Guy: Business as usual for Sonics
Following news of the Sonics sale, I figured season-ticket seller for a potentially lame-duck team would be the toughest job in Seattle.
JULY 19, 2006
Hey Howard, we're not morons
Art Thiel: It is said that Oklahoma is where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain. Tuesday, it also deposited big chunks of manure on Seattle basketball fans.
Oklahoma group buys Sonics, Storm
Tired of losing millions of and fighting politicians over a new arena, coffee mogul Howard Schultz and his partners Tuesday cashed out by selling the Seattle SuperSonics and Seattle Storm for $350 million to a group of Oklahoma businessmen.
Buyers' deep roots suggest they'll lean toward moving Sonics
"Homegrown" Oklahoma businessmen who made their fortunes in banking, energy and telecommunications are the new Sonics owners.
Chat recap: Gary Washburn on the sale
Seattle P-I Sonics beat writer Gary Washburn answers questions about the Sonics-Storm sale and what it means for Seattle.
Frequently asked questions about Sonics-Storm sale
Sonics beat reporter Gary Washburn looks at what's next for the teams, KeyArena and Paul Allen's Trail Blazers.
For kids' sake, Sonics should stay
Jim Moore: The Sonics' owners -- old and new -- made a show of saying the team will stay put for now, but the real losers if they leave will be Seattle-area kids who won't have local NBA heroes to emulate.
NBA Champions Sonics Sale: Are they history?
The outsiders sat in front of a skeptical Seattle, insisting the city had an NBA future in its grasp. Of course, no one was buying it.
Fans line both sides of the court
Many Sonics fans say Seattle has bigger priorities than spending tax money to keep the NBA franchise.
Taxpayers likely on hook for Key
Huge and critical questions remain about what the sale of the Sonics might mean for the city -- which has struggled for years to slow KeyArena's fiscal drain on Seattle's coffers.
Storm keeps the faith
Seattle Storm COO Karen Bryant chooses "to believe (the new owners) are sincere," while new owner Clayton Bennett says that Oklahoma City "absolutely" wants to host a WNBA franchise.
Other Voices: In time, second-love Sonics will grow on Oklahoma fans
Fans will miss the Hornets, their first love. But the Sonics will grow on them, as will the community support that is awaiting the franchise from Seattle.
Broadcasters say team part of city's fabric
The two men who have been the radio voices of the Sonics over the years, and their heir apparent express sadness at the possibility the team could relocate to Oklahoma City.
JULY 18, 2006
Sonics sold to Oklahoma City
The Seattle Sonics have been sold to an ownership group in Oklahoma City that plans to keep the team in Seattle -- if it can work out a deal for a new arena in the next 12 months.
- Video: Sonics announce sale
STORIES FROM NewsOK.com:
JULY 19, 2006
Mayor cautions about speculating
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett cautioned Tuesday against reading too much into the news that a group of Oklahoma City investors has bought the Seattle SuperSonics NBA franchise.
Which team represents city's NBA future?
While the Oklahoma City-based group that Tuesday bought the Sonics wasn’t ready to stake claim to the Ford Center, Hornets owner George Shinn wasn’t ready to concede his temporary home.
JULY 18, 2006
OKC group agrees to buy Sonics
An Oklahoma City investor group led by Clay Bennett has reached agreement to purchase the Seattle Sonics for $350 million, with a promise to negotiate for one year for a new arena that would keep the NBA team in the Pacific Northwest.
Buyers no strangers to city business community
All but one played a public role in the temporary relocation of the Hornets from New Orleans.
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