I was only referring to the teams you mentioned not all teams that have moved.
As for any team that has moved, I think people get over it when cities get another team.
I think that's why everyone wanted a team in Baltimore, or everyone wanted a team in LA etc.
For sure I get why Seattle people want the Sonics back!
Silver last year or so said Vegas is a much stronger contender to get a team than Seattle, and said Seattle ain't a lock. I just think people should be realistic with their expectations on the return of the Sonics...
first, sonic fans have absolutely no reason to let it go, its bullshyt. A local owner sold it to a guy who said he'd never move it, he held the city hostage for an arena, and then moved when he didn't get a gift of an upgraded arena. Its a modern owner grift.
that said though, There is a reason the Baltimore Ravens, The Cleveland Browns, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets, the Seattle Mariners, The Winnepeg Jets, the Minnesota Wild, The Minesota Timberwolves, the Houston Texans (I could go on and on) exist: after their predecessor teams left town, their fans never let it go and made it vocal they want a team.
This shyt matters, and the sonics fans are right to be vocal about it every time...demand drives attractiveness for a new / returning franchise.
•the city of Charlotte got a team back (Bobcats) 2 years after the Hornets left for New Orleans;
•the Browns came back 4 years after leaving for Baltimore;
•Houston got its NFL team back 6 years after the Oilers left for Tennessee;
•Minnesota got an NHL team back 7 years after the North Stars went to Dallas;
•Seattle got the Mariners 8 years after the Pilots left for Milwaukee;
•Baltimore got the Ravens 13 years after the Colts left for Indianapolis;
•Milwaukee got the Bucks 13 years after the Hawks left for St Louis;
•New Orleans got the Hornets 23 years after the Jazz left for Salt Lake;
•Minnesota got the Wolves 29 years after the Lakers moved to LA, but the history of the old Minneapolis team stayed with the LA Lakers
My point being, there's an argument to be made that if the Sonics were gonna come back, it woulda already happened. Milwaukee got the Bucks, and Charlotte got the Bobcats, well before the 17 years and counting Seattle is at---->though I guess on the optimistic side, it took longer for the NBA to return to New Orleans and Minnesota, so you can use those as examples that Seattle still has a chance...
And yet, there's a long list of cities from Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, to Kansas City, St Louis, and San Diego, who used to have an NBA team, THAT NEVER GOT ANOTHER ONE. Seattle may never get another one dog and it aint the first city to lose its team in the way that it did ..
Louisville doesn't deserve a team but teams in smaller metros like New Orleans, Salt Lake City, Memphis ... make sense?
Teams in Milwaukee, Sacramento, OKC make sense?
Salt Lake is a bigger city and significantly larger market than Louisville...
Sacramento is the biggest city and market of all the cities you mentioned, its not a "small" city by any stretch. Sac's problem is that its in California. If it were anywhere else people would be more knowledgeable about it. Its a bigger city than Kansas City, which has three major leagues...
en.m.wikipedia.org
censusreporter.org
en.wikipedia.org
