WOW... Hawks could be on the move...

[atlbraves93]

Oh.. So it has to be fromESPN??

"Cities that have expressed interest in taking on an existing NBA team in a franchise relocation

"I think maybe or maybe not on my watch, when Seattle has plans for a new building, I think it's a very prime city for an NBA franchise. We've been visited or contacted by three different groups that are putting up a building in Las Vegas. ... We've had visits from Anaheim, we've had visits from, believe it or not, Vancouver."

Cities that have NBA-ready buildings

"Well, for sure Kansas City. ... There's a brand-new building in Pittsburgh, there's a good building in St. Louis, there's a good building in Tampa/St. Pete. ... I know [Anaheim's Honda Center has] got some years on it but I'm told it's a serviceable building.

"So there are lots of potential cities, but our goal here is to keep all of our teams where they are ... but recognizing that that hasn't been a goal that we have successfully achieved in the past.""

There. You have a quote from D. Stern on ESPN...

Those cities have NBA-ready buildings. That is all that Stern had to say about them. Anaheim is the only one with any chance of getting a team in the near future.

[Yeti]

Let me use the Pacific NW as an example.

Seattle.

Seattle has won a championship. Had been to the finals in the last 30 yrs. Had a fan base. was everything that you described the Hawks as.. BUt they moved.

The Hawks can be moved. No doubt. If the money is there.

The thing is that these smaller cities with nothing surrounding them are very good NBA towns.

Did you see OKC in the playoffs.

Did you see the support?

I'm not saying that St. Louis or Seattle is a guaranteed Destination. I mean you have places like Las Vegas, Reno, San Deigo, Buffalo0, and Kansas City.

Can't you see the Kansas City Hawks? Kirk Hinrich starting PG?!

I agree with your conclusion - IT CAN HAPPEN. Everything you said about Seattle is true, but there were some strange goings on. David Stern made a promise to his buddy, Clay Bennet, that OKC would get a team after they hosted the Hornets post-Katrina. When the old owner of the Sonics, the Starbucks CEO, wanted to sell they promised they wouldn't move when they bought the team. Then they deliberately broke the team down until it was garbage - got rid of the popular players, the popular coach, etc and posted a franchise worst record. So the attendence dropped until the NBA could pretend that they were doing the right thing by moving. They also outsmarted the local politicians - who later were voted out. Later they found that the new owners emails showed they had never any interest in keeping the team in Seattle and had planned to move it from day 1. Basketball is still big up there, they now have 15 locals in the NBA (including Jamal Crawford, Marvin, and Jason Terry). The Sonics had a good history up there. So it could happen to Atlanta too.

[Diesel]

I agree with your conclusion - IT CAN HAPPEN. Everything you said about Seattle is true, but there were some strange goings on. David Stern made a promise to his buddy, Clay Bennet, that OKC would get a team after they hosted the Hornets post-Katrina. When the old owner of the Sonics, the Starbucks CEO, wanted to sell they promised they wouldn't move when they bought the team. Then they deliberately broke the team down until it was garbage - got rid of the popular players, the popular coach, etc and posted a franchise worst record. So the attendence dropped until the NBA could pretend that they were doing the right thing by moving. They also outsmarted the local politicians - who later were voted out. Later they found that the new owners emails showed they had never any interest in keeping the team in Seattle and had planned to move it from day 1. Basketball is still big up there, they now have 15 locals in the NBA (including Jamal Crawford, Marvin, and Jason Terry). The Sonics had a good history up there. So it could happen to Atlanta too.

It wouldn't take much for the Hawks to be made into a losing team that fans don't support. Hell, we're a winning team that fans don't support. The guy who says Anaheim is most ready to get a team... come on... California already have the Lakers the Clipps and the Spurs. Anaheim should just be happy with Hockey for now. The cities that are ready now:

St. Louis, Kansas... If they build it, Seattle. Even Louisville. Kroenke wants a basketball franchise in St. Louis. He and David Checketts are working to get that done. St. Louis has industry and a history. If the Blues leave St. Louis, watch the press for basketball get much stronger.

[Trueblood]

Not only did Seattle have arena issues but there was the issue of Oklahoma City and their support of the Hornets during the 2 years after Hurricane Katrina. Telling that market to support the NBA for 2 years and then just wave goodbye didn't sit well with Stern. As far as he was concerned, it was put up or shut up time for markets with arena problems. d*ck around with politics and anti sports types in city council and Stern would gladly relocate a team out of that market for OKC. Seattle tried to call his bluff only he wasn't bluffing.

Now, there are no OKC's out there. Yes, the league would like to put a team in Seattle but they aren't going to go out of their to do it like they did for OKC.

In short, Atlanta is safe. They have a great arena and are in a growing, large market with the right demographics and businesses.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Trueblood

[capstone21]

Do most of you go to the all of the games? Have season tickets?

If not, wouldn't a place where the fans and owners support the team be better? You will still see the team on TV as probably most watch it now. Even during the niqure years there were a lot of Red empty seats out there. The Atlanta fans will never fully support the team.

[atlbraves93]

It wouldn't take much for the Hawks to be made into a losing team that fans don't support. Hell, we're a winning team that fans don't support. The guy who says Anaheim is most ready to get a team... come on... California already have the Lakers the Clipps and the Spurs. Anaheim should just be happy with Hockey for now. The cities that are ready now:

St. Louis, Kansas... If they build it, Seattle. Even Louisville. Kroenke wants a basketball franchise in St. Louis. He and David Checketts are working to get that done. St. Louis has industry and a history. If the Blues leave St. Louis, watch the press for basketball get much stronger.

First, San Antonio is in Texas.

Second, the NBA is not trying to put an NBA team in St. Louis or Seattle right now. The Kings have a strong chance of moving to Anaheim. I never said it was the most ready to get a team, but that is the city that the Kings might move to.