If you build it… David Stern will at least think about it.
There are efforts afoot build a new arena in Seattle, something that the city’s mayor confirmed. Now, I’ve talked about winning the lottery and retiring to Maui next to Don Nelson, just like this arena that’s a long way from reality. But there will be no NBA (or NHL) teams in Seattle without a new arena to replace the Key, and these efforts seem serious.
If a new arena were built, the NBA would seriously consider a return Seattle, David Stern told the Salt Lake Tribune, via the Seattle Times.“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,” Stern said in a wide-ranging interview Monday with The Salt Lake Tribune at the league’s headquarters in New York City.
“I think he came in and I met with him, it must be a year ago,” Stern said in response to a question referring to Christopher Hansen, the 44-year-old Seattle native who is leading the effort. “Just a general conversation; he was brought in by a mutual friend. We know nothing of the specifics…"
“And 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. But we certainly are — if anyone asks us, we tell them what we know and we’re happy to talk to them.”
Seattle residents thought there were better ways to spend public money than a new arena. Oklahoma City residents voted to tax themselves to get an arena done. Throw in Clay Bennett’s deception and Howard Shultz and you have a good Seattle fan base that got screwed out of a team.
But if an arena gets done, don’t be shocked to first see teams use the new building as leverage to get better deals where they are, then eventually some team to pack up and move there.
