The debates in Oklahoma City over the wisdom of coughing over arena money while other pressing issues exist is painfully familiar to longtime Seattle residents.
Boom Town by Sam Anderson is a really good book. He outlines a lot of this. The Thunder basically exist because Oklahoma City businesses had a very difficult time recruiting and retaining workers because the city was perceived as minor league and had nothing to do. After successfully hosting the Hornets after Katrina- local leaders tasked Clay Bennet with getting an NBA team there. He bought the Sonics, and moved them as quick as he could.
The economics of the league has changed drastically since then. Being hung up about a public stadium deal in a larger wealthy market like Seattle seems pretty silly in retrospect, and OKC would have never gotten a team via expansion.
You’re substituting the Hornets/Thunder for MAPS projects here. Downtown OKC was already revitalizing without an NBA team. Not saying these things aren’t related, but you’re kind of conflating the history here…
Boom Town by Sam Anderson is a really good book. He outlines a lot of this. The Thunder basically exist because Oklahoma City businesses had a very difficult time recruiting and retaining workers because the city was perceived as minor league and had nothing to do. After successfully hosting the Hornets after Katrina- local leaders tasked Clay Bennet with getting an NBA team there. He bought the Sonics, and moved them as quick as he could.
The economics of the league has changed drastically since then. Being hung up about a public stadium deal in a larger wealthy market like Seattle seems pretty silly in retrospect, and OKC would have never gotten a team via expansion.
You’re substituting the Hornets/Thunder for MAPS projects here. Downtown OKC was already revitalizing without an NBA team. Not saying these things aren’t related, but you’re kind of conflating the history here…