Oklahoma City's Road to the National Basketball Association, revisited.
Mark Cuban prefers Sonics in Seattle, not Oklahoma City:
“My prejudice is against having a Dust Bowl Division in this part of the country,” Cuban told The Oklahoman. “I don’t think in the big picture that helps the NBA. I think a bigger market helps the NBA.
Cuban downplayed any possible impact a franchise in Oklahoma City would have on his bottom line and said that isn’t a factor in his opposition to the SuperSonics’ relocation.
“From an NBA perspective, they’re all NBA fans,” Cuban said. “It’s not going to take any money out of my pocket. It’s not like I’m not selling out every game anyway. It’s not like people are going to come from Oklahoma City.”
Paul Allen and Mark Cuban were the only owners to vote against the relocation move of the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City. The only owners that care about these fans and the city of Seattle in the NBA. If Paul Allen voted for the move, he would have been crucified up here in Seattle.
Three members of the NBA relocation committee visited Oklahoma City in 2008 to tour the Ford Center and watch a presentation from city officials. Commissioner David Stern said those three members would recommend approval of the move
Did the NBA help boost Oklahoma City's image? Oklahoma City's image gets a boost with Hornets' success...The temporary relocation of the New Orleans Hornets following Hurricane Katrina to Oklahoma City gave the Sooner capital city a chance to audition for a possible future expansion or relocation franchise. There were others cities vying for an NBA franchise like Louisville and Kansas City, who lost out to New Orleans when the Hornets left Charlotte for popular French port city. New Orleans Arena opened in 1999, a construction cost price tag of $114 million with an NBA basketball seating capacity of 16,867.
Wall Street Journal Online: A 600-word story details an array of sports writers who think Oklahoma City is too good a home for the Hornets to leave. The news service is read by corporate executives worldwide.
New York Times/International Herald Tribune: A 1,340 word cover story details Oklahoma City's transformation the last decade into a major league city. The publications are considered among the most prestigious in the world and are read by corporate executives and civic leaders.
Ford Center Renovations:"Mayor Cornett and the city have taken a visionary and appropriate step towards becoming an NBA city,” Bennett said. "I applaud their leadership.”
The improvements to the Ford Center would be funded by a temporary sales tax to be collected beginning January 1, 2009 — the day after the MAPS for Kids penny sales tax expires. Then OKC Mayor Mick Cornett said the tax would likely last one year to 15 months and pay for about $100 million worth of improvements. The Ford Center cost about $92 million to build.
"With the Hornets, we saw a total economic impact between $65 and $70 million during their two-year stay,” Hamm said. "Regardless of whether you're an NBA fan or sports fan at all, having our own major league team in Oklahoma City expands business growth, development and opportunity across the city.”
Cornett said he knows getting the proposal passed will be a fight, but it's one he believes city leaders can win.
2008: Oklahoma City's plan to fund Ford Center upgrades: Oklahoma City voters approve $100 million in arena upgrades to lure NBA teamOklahoma City voters approved a sales tax extension $100 million in improvements to a downtown arena and build a practice facility in hopes
luring an NBA team.
The plan calls for a one-penny sales tax to be extended by 15 months to pay for $122 million in upgrades to the Ford Center that included $20 million
for a brand new NBA practice facility. Note: Sales tax collections in March 2008 fell shot of expected goals, however low bids along with some
downgrades helped bring both projects to fruition. Ninety million was budgeted for the arena upgrades and $10 million was used to build the practice facility.
Original plans called for a warm up gym type facility to be build inside the Ford Center; the team indicated that the gym wasn't needed and it was scrapped
from the budget.
MAPS for HOOPS campaign...Oklahoma City voters on overwhelmingly embraced a $120 million tax package aimed at luring the team as that city’s first major-league sports franchise.
More than 60 percent of Oklahoma City voters favored the 15-month, one-cent sales tax to fix up the city’s Ford Center arena and build a new NBA practice facility, according to unofficial final returns from the Oklahoma County Election Board.
The proposal received support from 44,849 voters, or 62 per cent of those who cast ballots, according to final results from the Oklahoma County Election Board.
The city council and the chamber of commerce, which backed a campaign promoting the vote as a way to become a “Big League City.”
The Oklahoma vote was aimed at sending a powerful signal to the NBA Board of Governors.
.
