Seattle wants a new NBA team and plenty of people are plotting behind the scenes to make that wish a reality. But the main reasons the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City in the first place still need to be rectified. And as usual, it all comes back to money.
Here is what NBA Commissioner David Stern told the Salt Lake City Tribune.
"We had heard reports of some interest in Seattle and the name of the person who's associated with it is not totally unknown to me. I think he came in and I met with him, it must be a year ago. Just a general conversation; he was brought in by a mutual friend."
According to the Seattle Times, Christopher Hansen, a hedge-fund manager, is working towards getting a basketball arena built south of Safeco Field. He's spent the past eight months doing so. A new arena and funding are Seattle's primary roadblocks in getting a team.
"Everyone says to us, ‘Well, would you consider going back?' Of course, if they have a building. And so that's where it's left. We have no involvement," Stern said [to the Salt Lake City Tribune]. "But we certainly are - if anyone asks us, we tell them what we know and we're happy to talk to them. ...There's no shortage of potential sites, but the funding is a huge issue."
"If somebody is going to come forward and spend hundreds of millions of dollars and invest it in our city, we have to take that seriously," McGinn told KING 5.
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