NBA Possibly Relocating Memphis & New Orleans

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

The Sonics are not and would not be more popular than the Seahawks. Which doesn't nullify that Seattle is obviously a basketball city. But all those Seattleites in that thread say Seahawks are #1 and there is no close second in Seattle, even if the Sonics come back.

People probably need to come to grips with the likelihood they may never get a team again.

i literally am looking at lumen field and tmobile right now, so I can provide pretty good first hand accounts

Seahawks are the most popular. The Mariners WHEN HOT are actually a close second. That thread is over 2 years old. This year's mariners run was on par with peak LOB fandom. It was. The sonics aren't even a subject in that thread. If the sonics came back in YEAR ONE, they would be the hottest team and ticket in the city. Whether that wave stays for them to be above the hawks, i don't know but it would depend on success. I wouldn't expect that after year one though just because in every city with an NBA and NFL team, the NFL team is #1 other than NYC, LA, and maybe Boston arguably.

 

[murksiderock]

My first choice is to keep them, but I think the NBA would rather have cities where it is the "man," so to speak, who wants to go toe-to-toe with the NFL and International Football/Soccer, which means Memphis isn't a good match.

This makes Memphis the perfect city for the NBA, since there are no other major leagues there. You don't think Memphis is a good match, why?

I have heard rumors about that. People forget that the Titans started out in Memphis too until the stadium was built in Nashville.

They were always going to Nashville, though. They just needed to work out where they would play, whike Adelphia was getting built. They played in Memphis at Libertyland in '97, and at Vanderbilt's stadium in '98. So this Grizzlies potential relo is different---->The Oilers were always going to Nashville.

Let's not make this complicated. Its obvious the NBA Owners don't want expansion because it reduced the chunk of the revenue pie and TV money

Just move Memphis and NO and move them to Seattle and Vegas. Thee end

This is the exact reason, so I think the only way Seattle or Vegas get a team is thru relo. Which again, I think those are the two favorites, but I would go to the city with the best overall infrastructure, if its them, fine, if its Louisville or somewhere else, go that way.

I wouldn't move Memphis, though. That city may die in a real way if the Grizzlies move.

 

[murksiderock]

The nfl teams moved because stadium disputes

The rams been wanting to leave St. Louis, and they probably won’t ever get another team, them folks got that stadium built and it’s up, plus the chargers were tired of their situation too


This city cares, but the front office won’t do right, so everytime they get a star it’s squandered

New Orleans is not a terrible city for basketball the front office should do better

Bro New Orleans had the NBA in the 70s, and have had NBA back the past 23 years. NBA doesn't work there, time to end this failed experiment.

i literally am looking at lumen field and tmobile right now, so I can provide pretty good first hand accounts

Seahawks are the most popular. The Mariners WHEN HOT are actually a close second. That thread is over 2 years old. This year's mariners run was on par with peak LOB fandom. It was. The sonics aren't even a subject in that thread. If the sonics came back in YEAR ONE, they would be the hottest team and ticket in the city. Whether that wave stays for them to be above the hawks, i don't know but it would depend on success. I wouldn't expect that after year one though just because in every city with an NBA and NFL team, the NFL team is #1 other than NYC, LA, and maybe Boston arguably.

Maybe I was thinking of a different Reddit but there are definitely Seattleites who say the Sonics would be #2 to the Hawks. I'll try to find the thread, but people say the Hawks have been the consistently most popular team there since the early 90s. In the mid and late 90s the Sonics surged ahead again, but multiple accounts said that by the early 00s the Hawks were ahead for good, like 6+ years before the Sonics left. I'll see if I can find that Reddit.

That same thread said the Sonics and Mariners are neck and neck based on who is winning in yhe moment

I do agree that the return of the Sonics will make them immediately hot.

 

[the next guy]

In addition to your point, I'm gonna keep tapping the oversaturation point.

Nashville (NHL, NFL, MLS) and Kansas City (NFL, MLB, MLS) both already support three major leagues. Adding a fourth is a risky venture; while these are big cities in a general sense, they aren't major cities by population, media market, or economically.

I would have this same concern for all of the cities being pitched as candidates, at this weight class (Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St Louis). A 4th major league team in a market this size runs the risk of squeezing somebody out. All of these leagues are in it to make money.

Now maybe one of these cities is an outlier and can fully support 4 big league teams. Nashville is also being pitched for MLB expansion. Its just not a big enough city for all 5 leagues, and questionable for a 4th.

The NBA made a serious effort. First of all, after 23 years away, they came back to New Orleans. They've been back now for 23 years and its been an epic bust, but just bringing NBA back here is a huge effort.

Second of all, they have twice made sure the New Orleans NBA franchise got the #1 overall pick/that year's best college player, and promoted those two guys heavily.

The NBA tried in New Orleans.....TWICE. It simply isn't a basketball city. I'm all for them ending the New Orleans experiment and moving them elsewhere, how many chances should that city get?

According to this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleKraken/s/b5xI3xY8Ts

The Sonics are not and would not be more popular than the Seahawks. Which doesn't nullify that Seattle is obviously a basketball city. But all those Seattleites in that thread say Seahawks are #1 and there is no close second in Seattle, even if the Sonics come back.

People probably need to come to grips with the likelihood they may never get a team again.

I feel like the Zion thing could have been handled way more cleanly. Also they probably should not use the Saints trainers lol. But in serious, it feels like they forgot about them post-Katrina.

This makes Memphis the perfect city for the NBA, since there are no other major leagues there. You don't think Memphis is a good match, why?

They were always going to Nashville, though. They just needed to work out where they would play, whike Adelphia was getting built. They played in Memphis at Libertyland in '97, and at Vanderbilt's stadium in '98. So this Grizzlies potential relo is different---->The Oilers were always going to Nashville.

This is the exact reason, so I think the only way Seattle or Vegas get a team is thru relo. Which again, I think those are the two favorites, but I would go to the city with the best overall infrastructure, if its them, fine, if its Louisville or somewhere else, go that way.

I wouldn't move Memphis, though. That city may die in a real way if the Grizzlies move.

The NBA is simply moving towards an international model, in my opinion. I feel like Silver wants out of there; these leaks came straight from his office. I think they want teams on the coasts and in big inland cities (such as Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta), and to market even more worldwide. I suppose poverty is an issue, but it's a problem that exists everywhere.

I wonder if the Grizzlies had been allowed to move to Chicago, how different the league would be.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

Bro New Orleans had the NBA in the 70s, and have had NBA back the past 23 years. NBA doesn't work there, time to end this failed experiment.

Maybe I was thinking of a different Reddit but there are definitely Seattleites who say the Sonics would be #2 to the Hawks. I'll try to find the thread, but people say the Hawks have been the consistently most popular team there since the early 90s. In the mid and late 90s the Sonics surged ahead again, but multiple accounts said that by the early 00s the Hawks were ahead for good, like 6+ years before the Sonics left. I'll see if I can find that Reddit.

That same thread said the Sonics and Mariners are neck and neck based on who is winning in yhe moment

I do agree that the return of the Sonics will make them immediately hot.

Okay.... honestly I don't even see the relevance to the core argument that the sonics would a be a returning success whether they're #1 or 2 in the city.

 

[DropTopDoc]

Bro New Orleans had the NBA in the 70s, and have had NBA back the past 23 years. NBA doesn't work there, time to end this failed experiment.

Maybe I was thinking of a different Reddit but there are definitely Seattleites who say the Sonics would be #2 to the Hawks. I'll try to find the thread, but people say the Hawks have been the consistently most popular team there since the early 90s. In the mid and late 90s the Sonics surged ahead again, but multiple accounts said that by the early 00s the Hawks were ahead for good, like 6+ years before the Sonics left. I'll see if I can find that Reddit.

That same thread said the Sonics and Mariners are neck and neck based on who is winning in yhe moment

I do agree that the return of the Sonics will make them immediately hot.

What quantifies as a success for a franchise?

 

[murksiderock]

What quantifies as a success for a franchise?

Thats a good question that I don't have a clean answer for.

I mean, they don't do well in attendance. They twice were GIFTED the best player in college and fumbled both situations. They haven't had consecutive winning seasons, or consecutive playoff appearances, since the 2007-08, and 2008-09 seasons---->this team is a perennial loser, which may be the strongest indicator that they are unsuccessful.

And this is on top of, the NBA having been there once before, and it didn't work then. I feel like the NBA has tried to make it work for them this time around, but all the above indicators support that the only reason the Pelicans are still there is because the NBA wants them there---->fan support and ownership aren't the reason they are still there.

But I'd be interested in your answer, because admittedly I don't have a perfect answer. What qualifies as a successful or unsuccessful franchise to you?

 

[DropTopDoc]

Thats a good question that I don't have a clean answer for.

I mean, they don't do well in attendance. They twice were GIFTED the best player in college and fumbled both situations. They haven't had consecutive winning seasons, or consecutive playoff appearances, since the 2007-08, and 2008-09 seasons---->this team is a perennial loser, which may be the strongest indicator that they are unsuccessful.

And this is on top of, the NBA having been there once before, and it didn't work then. I feel like the NBA has tried to make it work for them this time around, but all the above indicators support that the only reason the Pelicans are still there is because the NBA wants them there---->fan support and ownership aren't the reason they are still there.

But I'd be interested in your answer, because admittedly I don't have a perfect answer. What qualifies as a successful or unsuccessful franchise to you?

Teams working out in a city is a nuanced conversation especially in the past.

The city can’t control winning two seasons in a row or playoff appearances, they also can’t control how a star plays or if he stays, AD has injury issues, they had him cousins and jru, zion can’t stay healthy and has weight issues, New Orleans as a city can’t control that. When they winning, the smoothie king is poppin (trust, the clinic i worked for had floor seats, so i was there a lot)

But by your metrics a lot of franchises are bad basketball franchises/cities

 

[murksiderock]

Teams working out in a city is a nuanced conversation especially in the past.

The city can’t control winning two seasons in a row or playoff appearances, they also can’t control how a star plays or if he stays, AD has injury issues, they had him cousins and jru, zion can’t stay healthy and has weight issues, New Orleans as a city can’t control that. When they winning, the smoothie king is poppin (trust, the clinic i worked for had floor seats, so i was there a lot)

But by your metrics a lot of franchises are bad basketball franchises/cities

The residents can control how they turn out for games and community engagement (draft parties, fundraisers, etc). By all accounts New Orleans sucks in these areas. The Pelicans could market better I guess, I have no clue how strongly they do or don't market, but the fact remains is that fan turnout is well below league average.

Its a sport issue, because yall show up for them Saints.

 

[ROFL_GUY]

New orleans is too small

Louisiana only cares bout LSU football and the saints

 

[the next guy]

The residents can control how they turn out for games and community engagement (draft parties, fundraisers, etc). By all accounts New Orleans sucks in these areas. The Pelicans could market better I guess, I have no clue how strongly they do or don't market, but the fact remains is that fan turnout is well below league average.

Its a sport issue, because yall show up for them Saints.

I mean they changed the name no? I will say they have tried.


Also let's be honest: this is a bad look on Ja and Zion if these teams move.

 

[Don Juan]

That basketball team for Seattle will be called the Seattle Kraken. We already got the stadium done for the NHL.

 

[Killer Instinct]

If we're not considering Texas the South, then the only consistent winner there has ever been in the South for an extended time was the Heat, and Miami is its own world. Hawks, Wizards, Hornets, Pelicans, Magic, Grizzlies.... none of these teams have ever won consistently enough to say that the people there aren't or wouldn't be fans

Lived in the south before. College football is king there and that's not changing in this lifetime for a multitude reasons. Doesn't matter how many championships the Atlanta Hawks rattle off over the next 30 years.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

That basketball team for Seattle will be called the Seattle Kraken. We already got the stadium done for the NHL.

No.

It will be the Supersonics.

 

[murksiderock]

I mean they changed the name no? I will say they have tried.


Also let's be honest: this is a bad look on Ja and Zion if these teams move.

Oh 100% if these teams move its an indictment on Ja and Zion but also on those organizations which have consistently shown an inability to manage and maintain franchise players.

I still wouldn't move them from Memphis, but I get the consideration.

And I also agree the NBA has tried in New Orleans. They tried in the 70s and they've tried for almost a quarter century. I reject any statement that the NBA hasn't tried to make it work, they literally gifted this franchise Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson.

Lived in the south before. College football is king there and that's not changing in this lifetime for a multitude reasons. Doesn't matter how many championships the Atlanta Hawks rattle off over the next 30 years.

College athletics are the go-to in most states, not just the South. None of Arizona's pro teams are revered the way UA and ASU are. None of Utah's pro teams mean as much as the Utes and BYU. You've got most states like Iowa and West Virginia that have no pro teams, college is the shyt there. None of Indiana's pro teams matter as much as Notre Dame, IU, and Purdue.