Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, and caused extensive damage to the New Orleans Arena . As a result, the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s New Orleans Hornets were unable to play any home games at the Arena for both the entire 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, and temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , to become the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets . After playing the majority of home games for both the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, the Hornets returned to New Orleans for the 2007–08 season .
94-746: Following the success of the Hornets' tenure in the city, the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City for the 2008–09 season , where they now compete as the Oklahoma City Thunder . As for the Hornets franchise, they changed their name to the Pelicans in 2013, paving the way for a return of the Hornets name to its original home of Charlotte, North Carolina , where it replaced the Bobcats name one year later. Because of
188-546: A concert venue can seat 7,500 for half-stage shows, 17,221 for end-stage shows and 17,805 for a center-stage shows. For trade shows and conventions the arena features 17,000 square feet (1,600 m ) of space. The ceiling is 65 feet (20 m) to beam and roof, 70 feet (21.5 m) to the top of the arena. In 1999, the arena's first tenant, the New Orleans Brass ice hockey team of the ECHL played their first home game in
282-779: A 144–116 loss in their first game against the San Francisco Warriors . On October 21, the Seattle team's first win came against the San Diego Rockets in overtime 117–110, and the SuperSonics finished the season with a 23–59 record. Before the start of the next season, Hazzard was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Lenny Wilkens , who brought a strong, all-around game to the SuperSonics, averaging 22.4 points, 8.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game for
376-573: A back-up plan for the future of SuperSonics, they would support the renovation by Oak View Group if the plan to acquire an NBA team was successful. Renovations of KeyArena, which was renamed Climate Pledge Arena , began in 2018 and were completed by the beginning of the 2021–22 NBA and NHL seasons. The SuperSonics played at the Seattle Center Coliseum , on the grounds of the Seattle Center , from 1967 to 1978. They left for
470-547: A feeling you're a part of something special"; mayor Mick Cornett said, "My expectations were lofty, but we've exceeded them." All repair work on the New Orleans Arena was finished by March 2006, and a new scoreboard and video displays were added during the process. In June 2006, Shinn stated he was pleased with the ongoing recovery process in New Orleans and again reaffirmed his desire to permanently return for
564-513: A font that was also used by Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings ). The road jerseys were green and had yellow lettering; the home uniforms were white with green lettering. In 1995, SuperSonics changed their uniforms, adding red and orange, and removing yellow, to their new jerseys that would last six seasons. It displayed the team's new logo on the front and their alternative logo on the shorts. The home uniforms had green stripes on
658-406: A game) but the service shut down after the 1984–85 season . In October 1983, original team owner Sam Schulman sold the SuperSonics to Barry Ackerley . In 1984, Fred Brown retired after playing 13 productive seasons with the SuperSonics; during this time, he had been on the same team roster as Rule and Wilkens during his rookie season, playing a key role on Seattle's first playoff teams, and being
752-454: A long, long time in Seattle or somewhere else. It's presumptuous to assume they're going to move that franchise to Oklahoma City. I understand that people are going to say that seems to be a likely scenario, but that's just speculation. After failing to persuade local governments to fund a $ 500-million arena complex in the Seattle suburb Renton , Bennett's group notified the NBA it intended to move
846-605: A loss to the Phoenix Suns on December 21, 2005, and they played the first professional sports event in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina on March 8, 2006, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers . The Hornets completed the 2005–06 season by winning 38 games, tenth in the Western Conference . They became the first team since the 1974–75 Boston Celtics to play home games at four separate venues:
940-625: A merger with the ABA ; Schulman, a member of the ABA–NBA merger committee in 1970, was eager to merge the leagues and he publicly announced if the NBA did not accept the merger agreement, he would move the SuperSonics to the ABA; he also threatened to move his soon-to-be ABA team to Los Angeles to compete with the Lakers . The Oscar Robertson suit delayed the merger and the SuperSonics remained in Seattle. Early in
1034-590: A minority owner of the Golden State Warriors , brought in to assemble a stronger group of investors. Ahead of the annual Board of Governors meeting where they were expected to vote on approval of the sale of the Kings to Hansen and Ballmer's group, as well as the relocation request, members of the NBA owners' finance and relocation committees held a meeting in New York City on April 3, 2013, for
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#17327808995731128-561: A new team had not been awarded to the city, was reached. It was agreed the Oklahoma City team would not use the name "SuperSonics", and that the team's history would be shared between Oklahoma City and any future NBA team in Seattle. The relocated team began play as Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2008–09 season , becoming the third NBA franchise to relocate in the past decade, following Vancouver Grizzlies , who moved to Memphis, Tennessee , and were renamed Memphis Grizzlies for
1222-445: A tentative agreement on a revised MOU that included the county council's amendments and new provisions; a personal guarantee from Hansen to cover cost overruns of construction of the new arena and make up any backfall for annual repayment of the city bonds issued. To address concerns of Port of Seattle, Seattle Mariners , and local industry, a SoDo transportation improvement fund to be maintained at $ 40 million by tax revenue generated by
1316-524: A three-game mini-series before losing to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in six games. The next season, the SuperSonics traded Haywood to the New York Knicks , forcing the remaining players to pick up the offensive slack. Guard Fred Brown , now in his fifth season, was selected to the 1976 NBA All-Star Game , and finished fifth in the league in scoring average and free-throw percentage. Burleson's game continued to strengthen as Watts led
1410-466: A vulnerable franchise to move to Seattle began circulating. Most of the discussion centered on Sacramento Kings , a struggling franchise that had been unsuccessfully trying to replace the aging Power Balance Pavilion . The rumors were such that Think Big Sacramento, a community action group created by Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson to develop solutions for Kings, wrote to Hansen asking him not to pursue
1504-498: A winning record of 341–275 (.554) during the regular season and 15–9 (.625) during the playoffs in home games played at the New Orleans Arena/Smoothie King Center as of the conclusion of the 2018–19 season. The seating capacity for NBA basketball games has gone: Smoothie King Center has hosted the 2008 NBA All-Star Game , the 2014 NBA All-Star Game , and the 2017 NBA All-Star Game , after
1598-454: The 1970–71 season , Rule tore his left Achilles' tendon and was injured for the rest of the season. Wilkens was named the 1971 All-Star Game MVP . Schulman was awarded American Basketball Association Rookie of the Year and MVP Spencer Haywood following a lengthy court battle . The following season , the SuperSonics had their first winning season at 47–35. On March 3, 1972, the team, which
1692-619: The 1980–81 season and Williams missed the year due to a contract dispute. As a result, the SuperSonics fell to last place in the Pacific Division with a 34–48 mark, the only time they finished in last place. Williams returned for the 1981–82 season and the SuperSonics scored 52–30 and 48–34 records during the next two years. In 1981, the SuperSonics created the Sonics SuperChannel, the first sports subscription cable service; subscriptions were available for $ 120 ($ 1.33
1786-415: The 1988–89 season , Chambers had signed with Phoenix, Ellis improved his scoring average to 27.5 points per game and finished second in the league in three-point percentage. The SuperSonics finished with a 47–35 record and qualified for the second round of the 1989 playoffs . The SuperSonics began setting a new foundation with the drafting of forward Shawn Kemp in 1989 and guard Gary Payton in 1990, and
1880-558: The 2001–02 season ; and Charlotte Hornets , who moved to New Orleans and began play as New Orleans Hornets for the 2002–03 season . In months prior to the settlement, Seattle publicly released email conversations that took place within Bennett's ownership group and alleged they indicated at least some members of the group wanted to move the team to Oklahoma City prior to the purchase in 2006. Before that, SuperSonics co-owner Aubrey McClendon told The Journal Record ; "we didn't buy
1974-735: The 2007–08 season ended, the team relocated to Oklahoma City , where they now play as the Oklahoma City Thunder . Sam Schulman owned the team from its 1967 inception until 1983. It was then owned by Barry Ackerley until 2001, when it came under ownership of Basketball Club of Seattle, headed by Starbucks chairman emeritus, former president and CEO Howard Schultz . On July 18, 2006, Basketball Club of Seattle sold SuperSonics and its Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) sister franchise Seattle Storm to Professional Basketball Club LLC , headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett . The NBA Board of Governors approved
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#17327808995732068-544: The 2008 All-Star Game , in addition to hosting the team for six of their 41 home games during the season. Although guarantees by the league and organization indicated a return for 2007–08, many fans in New Orleans were still skeptical of a permanent return due to the popularity of the team in Oklahoma City. Meanwhile, the Hornets opened their season in Oklahoma City with a 26-point win over the Sacramento Kings on November 1, 2005. They played their first game in Louisiana in
2162-815: The Ford Center in Oklahoma City, the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, and the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma. The Hornets had finished last in attendance in the previous season in New Orleans, but playing in Ford Center , they averaged 18,168 fans, a 78% increase. Referring to the fan support in Oklahoma City, Hornets star Chris Paul said that "You get
2256-488: The Milwaukee Bucks would need to replace the aging BMO Harris Bradley Center because of its small size and lack of amenities. On April 16, 2014, it was announced owner Herb Kohl had agreed to sell the franchise to New York hedge-fund investors Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens for a record $ 550 million. The deal included provisions for contributions of $ 100 million each from Kohl and the new ownership group towards
2350-522: The NBA championship in 1979 . The franchise won Western Conference titles in 1978 , 1979 and 1996 ; and six divisional titles—their last being in 2005 —five in the Pacific Division and one in the Northwest Division. The franchise attained a 1,745–1,585 (.524) regular season win–loss record, as well as a 107–110 (.493) playoff win–loss record during its time in Seattle. Both marks would rank in
2444-859: The National Basketball Association (NBA) since 2002. The New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League played their home games in the arena from 2004 until the team disbanded in 2008. The VooDoo resumed play at the arena in March 2011, until after the 2015 AFL season when the franchise folded. The arena was completed in 1999 at a cost of $ 114 million and officially opened on October 19, 1999. The arena seats 17,805 for concerts , 16,867 for Pelicans games, 18,500 for college basketball and Pelicans playoff games, and 16,900 for ice hockey and arena football . It has 2,800 club seats and 56 luxury suites. The arena as
2538-667: The Smoothie King Center prior to the 2014 NBA All-Star Game . In September and October 2014, exterior renovations were made to the Smoothie King Center, including new entrances, painting the center from bluish green to light gray, and a new outer LED lighting system similar to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome's own. However, some original plans, such as to add an overhang to the building, were cancelled. The Hornets/Pelicans have enjoyed
2632-564: The Women's National Basketball Association 's Seattle Storm for $ 350 million to Professional Basketball Club LLC (PBC), an investment group that was headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett . Schultz sold the franchise to Bennett's group because they thought Bennett would keep the franchise in Seattle rather than move it to Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said: I think it's presumptuous to assume that Clay Bennett and his ownership group won't own that Seattle team for
2726-709: The playoffs , the SuperSonics defeated the Phoenix Suns in a seven-game conference final series to set up a rematch with the Washington Bullets in the finals, in which the Bullets lost to the SuperSonics in five games to give the SuperSonics their first-and-only NBA title. The championship team roster included Gus Williams and Finals MVP Dennis Johnson , second-year All-Star center Jack Sikma , forwards John Johnson and Lonnie Shelton , and key reserves Fred Brown and Paul Silas . The 1979–80 season saw
2820-482: The playoffs . Their attendance declined slightly compared to the previous season, and they finished 15th overall in attendance. The Hornets made their permanent return to New Orleans on October 31, 2007, when they defeated the Sacramento Kings 109–90 to open the 2007–08 season. In the following two seasons, the Hornets averaged an attendance of 15,574. During the 2008 All-Star Game, the NBA donated $ 5 million towards relief work, and staged an NBA Cares program throughout
2914-621: The 2007–08 season. However, the Hornets also announced that they were in the process of negotiating with Oklahoma City to play the 2007–08 season at the Ford Center as a contingency plan. The Hornets opened the 2006–07 season at New Orleans with a win over the Boston Celtics . They improved their final record from the previous season by one game, and again finished tenth in the Western Conference, three games out of
Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Hornets - Misplaced Pages Continue
3008-686: The All-NBA Second Team, and Johnson was also named to the All-NBA First Defensive Team for the second consecutive year. The SuperSonics made it to the Western Conference Finals for the third consecutive season but lost to the Lakers in five games. It was the last time the backcourt of Williams and Johnson played together on the SuperSonics; Johnson was traded to Phoenix Suns before the start of
3102-581: The All-Star Game break. However, by late September the Hornets finalized a move to Oklahoma City, where 35 games would be played at the Ford Center , as well as six in Baton Rouge at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Additionally, it was announced that three of the games in March could be moved to New Orleans if the arena repairs were complete. At the same time, the NBA also announced the team would be referred to officially as
3196-578: The Hawks were to remain in Atlanta as a condition of their sale; additionally, Atlanta Spirit were unlikely to sell Hawks to a prospective owner that would seek to relocate the team, in contrast with the group's sale of the now-defunct Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL in 2011. Any attempt to move the Hawks out of Atlanta would have incurred a $ 75 million penalty from the city of Atlanta and Fulton County for breaking
3290-612: The Hawks' lease at Philips Arena before 2017. The Hawks were sold to a group led by Tony Ressler on June 24, 2015. On May 2, 2016, Seattle City Council voted 5–4 against vacating a section of Occidental Avenue South that connected property purchased by Hansen and was deemed critical to the siting of a future arena. The vote was seen as a significant delay to the MOU between Hansen, the city and King County that expired in November 2017. On October 25, 2016, Chris Hansen announced he will fund
3384-409: The NBA by this new group was deemed "not comparable" as to merit consideration. Burkle eventually left the group because of a conflict with other business interests, but offered to be primary developer of lands around the planned downtown location of the new arena to aid in city council passage of public funding for the project. Mastrov took a backseat to Vivek Ranadivé , founder and CEO of TIBCO and
3478-516: The NBA in assists and steals, and was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team . The SuperSonics again made the playoffs but lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games, in spite of strong performances from Brown (28.5 ppg) and Burleson (20.8 ppg). Russell left the SuperSonics after the 1976–77 season , and the team started the season at 5–17 under new coach Bob Hopkins . Lenny Wilkens was brought back to replace Hopkins, and
3572-578: The NBA league office, began to assemble an alternative ownership group that would keep the Kings in Sacramento and aid in getting a new arena constructed. On February 26, 2013, the Sacramento City Council voted to enter into negotiations with an unnamed group of investors revealed two days later to be headed by grocery magnate and developer Ron Burkle and Mark Mastrov , founder of 24 Hour Fitness . An initial counteroffer presented to
3666-582: The NBA pulled the game from Charlotte 's Spectrum Center due to North Carolina 's " bathroom bill ." In 2011, the arena hosted the Southeast Regional of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament . The arena also hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament in 2007 and 2010 . The 2012 Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournament was held at
3760-548: The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, and that the deal reached with Oklahoma City would allow for the team to return for the 2006–07 season, if necessary. In order to allow for a full recovery of the New Orleans market in the wake of the storm, the NBA announced on January 31, 2006, that the Hornets would remain in Oklahoma City for the 2006–07 season and return for the 2007–08 season . The league also announced that New Orleans would play host for
3854-587: The Nordstroms, and Walker for $ 500 million to relocate to Seattle as early as the 2013–14 NBA season emerged. On January 20, 2013, several sources reported the Maloof family had agreed to sell Hansen and Ballmer's ownership group their 53% majority stake in the Kings franchise, pending approval of the NBA's Board of Governors. The next day, the NBA, Hansen, and the Maloofs all released statements announcing
Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Hornets - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-631: The Seattle Center Coliseum) for 33 of the franchise's 41 seasons in Seattle. In 1978, the team moved to the Kingdome , which they shared with Major League Baseball (MLB) team Seattle Mariners and National Football League (NFL) team Seattle Seahawks . The team returned to the Coliseum in 1985, and temporarily moved to Tacoma Dome for the 1994–95 season while the Coliseum was renovated and renamed KeyArena. The SuperSonics won
4042-481: The Seattle and Sacramento groups. The BOG voted 22–8 against moving the Kings from Sacramento to Seattle. Though initially resistant to the idea, after negotiations, on May 17, 2013, the Maloof family and Hernreich formally agreed to sell their ownership stake in the Kings (65% of the team, valued at US$ 535 million) to Ranadivé's ownership group. In September 2013, then-Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver announced that
4136-569: The Seattle group and the Sacramento group to each present their proposals. With the meeting of the Board of Governors to vote moved again to mid-May, the groups were asked to make another brief presentation to the full relocation committee on April 29, 2013. The committee voted to recommend rejection of the relocation request to the full board. When the Board of Governors finally convened in Dallas on May 15, 2013, they heard final presentations from both
4230-678: The Smoothie King Center versus the Utah Jazz on October 30, 2002. The Jazz had called New Orleans home from 1974 to 1979. The New Orleans VooDoo , of the Arena Football League (AFL), began playing their home games in the arena starting in February 2004. Following Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, medical operations that had previously been housed in the Superdome were moved to the Arena. Medical personnel had been working in an area of
4324-588: The Sonics were eliminated in the first round, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers in four games. The team returned to the rebuilt Coliseum, now the KeyArena , for the 1995–96 season . Perhaps the strongest roster the SuperSonics ever had was the 1995–96 team , which had a franchise best 64–18 record. With a deep roster of All-NBA Second Team selections Kemp and Payton, forward Detlef Schrempf , forward Sam Perkins , guard Hersey Hawkins , and guard Nate McMillan ,
4418-452: The SuperSonics and Orlando Magic agreed to a sign and trade for Rashard Lewis . The SuperSonics received a future second-round draft pick and a $ 9.5 million trade exception from the Magic. On July 20, the SuperSonics used the trade exception and a second-round draft pick to acquire Kurt Thomas and two first-round draft picks from Phoenix Suns . In 2007, morale was low at the beginning of
4512-527: The SuperSonics finish second in the Pacific Division to the Los Angeles Lakers with a strong 56–26 record. That season, the SuperSonics set an NBA record with a regular season average attendance of 21,725 fans per game, a record that has since broken. Fred Brown won the NBA's first three-point shooting-percentage title, Jack Sikma played in the second of his seven career All-Star Games for the SuperSonics, Gus Williams and Dennis Johnson were named to
4606-434: The SuperSonics in the 1968–69 season . Rule improved on his rookie statistics with 24.0 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game. SuperSonics won only 30 games and Bianchi was replaced by Wilkens as player/coach during the off-season. Wilkens and Rule both represented Seattle in the 1970 NBA All-Star Game , and Wilkens led the NBA in assists during the 1969–70 season . In June 1970, the NBA owners voted 13–4 to work toward
4700-472: The SuperSonics season as talks with the city of Seattle for a new arena had broken down. The SuperSonics had received a franchise player with second-overall pick in the NBA draft with Durant. With the Ray Allen trade, however, the SuperSonics had little talent with which to surround their rookie forward and lost their first eight games under coach P. J. Carlesimo to achieve a 3–14 record in the first month of
4794-432: The Superdome with poor lighting, leaking ceilings and soggy carpet. The Arena's design was tested in 1996 by CPP, a wind engineering consulting firm, so it fared far better than the Superdome during the storm and was in better condition to house sensitive medical operations. Thus, unlike the Superdome, the Arena reopened to activities only one month after the storm. On March 8, 2006, the Hornets played their first home game at
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#17327808995734888-549: The Thunder. On September 17, 2024, in the midst of rumors of Seattle getting an NBA expansion team, ESPN reported that "if a team were to return to Seattle, the Thunder would cede the Seattle history back to the SuperSonics." On December 20, 1966, Los Angeles businessmen Sam Schulman and Eugene V. Klein , both of whom owned the AFL side San Diego Chargers , and a group of minority partners were awarded an NBA franchise for Seattle,
4982-534: The Western Conference Finals. In the 1993–94 season , the SuperSonics had the best record in the NBA at 63–19, but suffered a first round loss to the Denver Nuggets , becoming the first number one seed to lose a playoff series to an eighth seed. The Sonics moved to the Tacoma Dome for the 1994–95 season while the Coliseum underwent renovations and went on to earn a second place 57–25 record. Again,
5076-442: The agreement, which also included the 12% minority stake of owner Robert Hernreich, and based the sale price on a team valuation of $ 525 million. David Stern , then NBA Commissioner , confirmed on February 6, 2013, that the Maloofs had filed paperwork with the league office to officially request relocation of the Kings from Sacramento to Seattle on behalf of the potential new ownership group. Johnson, with guidance from Stern and
5170-410: The arena since Hurricane Katrina and the start of the 2005–06 season. A sellout crowd of 17,744 watched the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Hornets, 113–107. In 2006, the arena installed an LED centerhung video and scoring system from Daktronics . The centerhung installation is made up of two ring displays and eight video displays, as well as scoreboards. This installation is fully integrated with
5264-416: The arena was also included. All parties agreed transaction documents would not be signed and construction would not begin before the state-required environmental impact analysis was completed. By a vote of 7–2, Seattle City Council approved the amended MOU on September 24, 2012. The King County Council reviewed the amended MOU and voted unanimously in favor of approval on October 15, 2012. In June 2012, it
5358-430: The arena without public funding. On November 14, 2016, then Seattle Seahawks ' quarterback Russell Wilson announced he would be investing in the NBA arena effort. While talks about building a new arena were underway, so were talks with another group of investors—including Tim Leiweke , co-founder of the Oak View Group —who wanted to renovate KeyArena, SuperSonics' former home venue. On December 4, 2017, one day after
5452-428: The arena. The arena hosted ArenaBowl XXI in 2007, ArenaBowl XXII in 2008 and ArenaBowl XXV in 2012. The arena has also hosted various WWE events, including Royal Rumble in 2001 , Extreme Rules in 2009 , Hell in a Cell in 2011 , Elimination Chamber in 2013 , the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the following Raw as part of WrestleMania XXX weekend, and NXT TakeOver: New Orleans ,
5546-479: The arena. The arena hosted the 2004 Women's Final Four and 2013 Women's Final Four . It has also hosted the 2008 NCAA women's basketball tournament South Regionals. The arena was set to host the 2020 Women's Final Four , before it was eventually canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic . The 2002 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Final Four was held at the New Orleans Arena in December 2002. The 2019 and 2024 SEC gymnastics championships were held at
5640-431: The arena. The team played in the arena their last three seasons. When the New Orleans Hornets arrived in 2002, they persuaded the state government to demand that the Brass foot the cost of converting the arena between basketball and hockey configurations. That expense was more than the Brass were willing to pay, and they were forced to fold due to the lack of another suitable arena. The Hornets played their first game at
5734-444: The city to help rebuilding efforts. Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly shortened to Sonics ) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle . The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Division (1967–1970), and later as a member of the Western Conference 's Pacific (1970–2004) and Northwest (2004–2008) divisions. After
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#17327808995735828-524: The city's team. On May 16, 2012, after coming to agreement, McGinn, Constantine, and Hansen presented the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to the public. King County Council voted to approve the MOU on July 30, 2012, adding amendments that provided for work with the Port of Seattle , securing the SuperSonics naming rights, offering reduced-price tickets, support for Seattle Storm WNBA franchise, and requiring an economic analysis. Hansen and Seattle City Council announced on September 11, 2012,
5922-430: The construction of what would eventually be the new Fiserv Forum arena. During sale discussions, it was revealed Hansen and Ballmer had expressed interest in purchasing the team for more than $ 600 million but had not made a formal offer, as Kohl only entertained offers keeping the team in Milwaukee. On January 2, 2015, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Atlanta Spirit , then-owners of Atlanta Hawks , would sell
6016-452: The controversial aspects of the team's departure from Seattle; it won the 2010 Webby Award for Best Sports Film. In 2011, a group of investors led by hedge fund founder Chris Hansen spoke with Seattle mayor Mike McGinn about investing in an arena in hopes of securing an NBA franchise and reviving the Seattle SuperSonics. McGinn offered to Hansen to obtain ownership of KeyArena for little to no money. Rumors Hansen would begin pursuing
6110-406: The deal with Chris Hansen expired, Seattle City Council voted 7–1 to approve the renovation of KeyArena. The renovation was considered to mainly focus on fitting out Seattle Kraken for the National Hockey League (NHL), although interest for the revival of SuperSonics remained a possibility with the renovated arena. Hansen and his fellow investors felt having a future arena should be considered as
6204-411: The end to the SuperSonics' 11-year run of seasons with a winning percentage of at least .500, then the second-longest current run in the NBA. The 2004–05 team won the organization's sixth-division title under the leadership of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis , winning 52 games and defeating the Sacramento Kings to advance to the 2005 Western Conference Semifinals . The SuperSonics lost in six games to
6298-421: The established trio of Tony Parker , Tim Duncan and Manu Ginóbili of the San Antonio Spurs , who subsequently defeated the Detroit Pistons in the 2005 NBA Finals . This was also the last time this SuperSonics team would make the playoffs. During the 2005 off-season, head coach McMillan left the SuperSonics to accept a high-paying position to coach the Portland Trail Blazers . The season after his departure,
6392-506: The extensive damage resulting from the hurricane, where the Hornets would play for the 2005–06 season came into question. Although the New Orleans Arena suffered only slight damage, the flooding surrounding the area made it impossible to use. With the training camp scheduled to begin on October 4, the team announced that the first three weeks of camp would be held at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado , instead of their usual location, Alario Center in Westwego . Additionally
6486-461: The facilities being utilized for hurricane related relief operations. Numerous cities inquired about hosting the franchise for the season, including Kansas City , Louisville , Nashville , Oklahoma City and San Diego . During this period, Oklahoma City announced that it was the favored choice to serve as the temporary home of the franchise, although by mid-September SMG announced that the New Orleans arena could potentially be ready for occupancy by
6580-529: The first major-league sports franchise in the city. Schulman served as the active partner and head of team operations, and named the team SuperSonics as a nod to the city's ties to the aviation industry, with Boeing 's having recently been awarded a contract for an SST project . The Seattle SuperSonics began play on October 13, 1967; they were coached by Al Bianchi , and included All-Star guard Walt Hazzard and All-Rookie Team members Bob Rule and Al Tucker . The expansion team debuted in San Francisco with
6674-667: The game, the crowd chanted "Save our Sonics" and Durant waved his hands at the crowd. The last game they played was against Durant's future team, the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena three days later. Durant scored 42 points. From 2001 to 2006, Starbucks chairman emeritus, former president and CEO Howard Schultz was the majority owner of the team, along with 58 partners or minor owners as part of Basketball Club of Seattle LLP. On July 18, 2006, after unsuccessful efforts to persuade Washington State government officials to provide funding to update KeyArena, Schultz and Basketball Club of Seattle LLP sold SuperSonics and their sister team
6768-546: The gameday experience inside the arena. These upgrades include updates to the Suites and Club Levels, expanding the Club Levels, Creating new Loge Boxes, and a new Party Perch. Other upgrades include upgraded concession stands, upgraded LED boards, and other in-house amenities for the teams and performers that use the arena. On February 5, 2014, it was announced that a 10-year agreement was reached to rename New Orleans Arena
6862-411: The larger Kingdome and played there for seven years with crowds of over 30,000 at 20 games. The team returned to the Coliseum in 1985 and were its main tenant before and after its renovation into KeyArena , which opened in 1995. The SuperSonics played a season at the Tacoma Dome during the renovation and remained at KeyArena until 2008. Seattle SuperSonics' first uniforms had "Sonics" displayed in
6956-428: The latter half of the 1980s were Tom Chambers ' 1987 All-Star Game MVP award, the SuperSonics' appearance in the 1987 Western Conference Finals, despite posting a 39–43 regular season record during the 1986–87 season , and the performances of Chambers, Xavier McDaniel and Dale Ellis . In 1987–88, the three players each averaged over 20 points per game with Ellis at 25.8 ppg, McDaniel at 21.4, and Chambers at 20.4. In
7050-419: The more than 875 feet (267 m) of ribbon display technology that was installed in the arena in 2002. In the summer of 2008, new Daktronics "see through" shot clocks were installed, replacing the existing box units. The New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League resumed play at the arena in March 2011. In 2013, the arena underwent a significant upgrade. The 2013 renovations were primarily focused for
7144-400: The move. The approval meant SuperSonics would be allowed to move to Oklahoma City's Ford Center for the 2008–09 season after reaching a settlement with the city of Seattle. On July 2, 2008, a settlement that allowed the team to move under certain conditions, including the ownership group's payment of $ 45 million to Seattle and the possibility of an additional $ 30 million by 2013 if
7238-482: The proposal would have violated league ownership rules. Schultz dropped the case before the start of the 2008–09 season. In 2009, a group of Seattle filmmakers known as Seattle SuperSonics Historical Preservation Society produced a critically acclaimed documentary film titled Sonicsgate – Requiem For A Team , which describes the rise and demise of the Seattle SuperSonics franchise. The film focuses on
7332-549: The right side of the jersey and shorts, and the green road jersey had red stripes. New Orleans Arena Smoothie King Center (locally referred to as SKC) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New Orleans , Louisiana . It is located in the city's Central Business District , adjacent to Caesars Superdome . The arena opened in 1999 as New Orleans Arena and has been home to the New Orleans Pelicans of
7426-494: The sale on October 24, 2006, and finalized it seven days later, at which point the new ownership group took control. After failing to find public funding to construct a new arena in the Seattle area, the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City before the 2008–09 season , following a $ 45 million settlement with the city of Seattle to pay off their existing lease at the KeyArena at Seattle Center before it expired in 2010. The SuperSonics played their home games at KeyArena (originally
7520-472: The season. Durant led all rookies in scoring at 20.3 ppg and won the Rookie of the Year award. The SuperSonics, however, posted a franchise-worst record of 20–62. It was their final season in Seattle because Bennett got the right to move the team after settling all legal issues with the city. The Seattle SuperSonics played their last home game on April 13, 2008, winning 99–95 against Dallas Mavericks . Throughout
7614-542: The team reached the 1996 NBA Finals , but lost to the Michael Jordan -led Chicago Bulls in six games. Seattle continued to be a Western Conference powerhouse during the next two seasons, winning 57 games in 1996–97 and 61 games in 1997–98 for their second and third straight Pacific Division titles. At the end of the 1997–98 season, longtime Sonic and defensive specialist McMillan retired, and disagreements with management led Karl to end his tenure as head coach. He
7708-587: The team regressed with a 35–47 record. On May 22, 2007, the SuperSonics were awarded the second pick in the 2007 NBA draft , equaling the highest draft position the team ever held, selecting Kevin Durant from the University of Texas . On June 28, the SuperSonics traded Ray Allen and the 35th pick of the second-round Glen Davis in the 2007 NBA draft to Boston Celtics for rights to the fifth pick; Jeff Green , Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West . On July 11,
7802-523: The team stated that they wanted to play home games within Louisiana , at either the Pete Maravich Assembly Center or the Rivercenter in Baton Rouge . On September 3, Hornets owner George Shinn stated that the storm would not be used as a reason to permanently relocate the franchise. By September 10, the prospect of securing a Baton Rouge location to host the Hornets was fading as a result of
7896-515: The team to Oklahoma City and requested arbitration with the city of Seattle to be released from SuperSonics' lease of KeyArena. The judge rejected the request and Seattle sued Bennett's group to enforce the lease that required the team to play at KeyArena until 2010. On April 18, 2008, NBA owners approved a potential SuperSonics' relocation to Oklahoma City in a 28–2 vote by the league's Board of Governors; only Mark Cuban of Dallas Mavericks and Paul Allen of Portland Trail Blazers voted against
7990-447: The team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here", although Bennett denied knowledge of this. Seattle used these incidents to argue the owners failed to negotiate in good faith, prompting Schultz to file a lawsuit seeking to rescind the sale of the team and transfer the ownership to a court-appointed receiver. The NBA said Schultz's lawsuit was void because Schultz signed a release forbidding himself to sue Bennett's group but also said
8084-413: The team's important sixth man during the championship series years. In recognition of his contributions to the team, Brown's number was retired in 1986. Lenny Wilkens left the organization following the 1984–85 season and Jack Sikma, the last-remaining member of the SuperSonics' championship team aside from trainer Frank Furtado, was traded after the 1985–86 season. Among the few SuperSonics highlights in
8178-568: The team's performance immediately improved. The SuperSonics won 11 of their first 12 games under Wilkens, finished the season at 47–35, won the Western Conference title, and led the Washington Bullets three games to two before losing in seven games in the 1978 NBA Finals . Center Marvin Webster went to New York but the SuperSonics' roster stayed largely intact during the off-season, and they won their first division title in 1979 . In
8272-497: The team. Initially, only majority owner Bruce Levenson would sell his stake but the remaining minority owners announced they would also sell their stakes, putting the entire franchise up for sale. On January 6, 2015, Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported Chris Hansen and film producer Thomas Tull —a minority owner of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers —would enter separate bids to acquire the Hawks and move them to Seattle. The NBA stated
8366-413: The top half of the NBA's all-time standings . Settlement terms of a lawsuit between the city of Seattle and Clay Bennett's ownership group stipulated SuperSonics' banners, trophies and retired jerseys remain in Seattle; the nickname, logo and color scheme are available to any subsequent NBA team that plays at KeyArena subject to NBA approval. The SuperSonics' franchise history, however, would be shared with
8460-412: The trading of Dale Ellis and Xavier McDaniel to other teams during the 1990–91 season . It was George Karl 's arrival as head coach in 1992, however, that marked a return to regular season and playoff competitiveness for the SuperSonics. With the continued improvement of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, the SuperSonics posted a 55–27 record in the 1992–93 season and took the Phoenix Suns to seven games in
8554-482: Was Haywood's second-consecutive All-NBA First Team selection; he averaged a SuperSonics record 29.2 points per game and collected 12.9 rebounds per game. Bill Russell was hired as the head coach in 1974, and he led the SuperSonics to the playoffs for the first time. The team, which featured Haywood, guards Fred Brown and Slick Watts , and rookie center Tommy Burleson , defeated the Detroit Pistons in
8648-407: Was led by player-coach Wilkens and First Team forward Haywood, held a 46–27 mark but late-season injuries to starters Haywood, Dick Snyder and Don Smith led to the team losing eight of its final nine games. For the 1972–73 season, Wilkens was traded to Cleveland Cavaliers in an unpopular move; without his leadership, the SuperSonics fell to a 26–56 record. One of the highlights of the season
8742-419: Was replaced by former Sonic Paul Westphal for the 1998–99 season . The 1998–99 season saw the SuperSonics struggle. Westphal was dismissed after the team started the 2000–01 season 6–9, and replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Nate McMillan , who was appointed permanent head coach in February 2001. In the 2002–03 season , All-Star Payton was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks ; that season marked
8836-474: Was revealed Hansen's investment partners included Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer , and brothers Erik and Peter Nordstrom of fashion retailer Nordstrom, Inc. Peter Nordstrom had been a minority owner of SuperSonics under Howard Schultz's ownership. Wally Walker , former SuperSonics executive, was also later revealed to be part of Hansen's group. On January 9, 2013, media reports regarding the imminent sale of majority ownership of Sacramento Kings to Hansen, Ballmer,
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