Furness Show 3-25: David Aldridge, Mike Vornukov, David Locke and sound from Adam Silver

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello from the Star Rentals Sports to us Jordan ninety
three point three KJRFM sports.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Headlines, flight Choose Chill.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
NBA Board of Governors today voted to authorize the league
to formally explore expansion in both Las Vegas and Seattle.
What else do I need to say is that it
be good, We're done, Thanks for thanks for coming, Good
night everybody. Seahawks officially announced Jackson Smith and Jigba extension.
Also in the Fell announcements, they will indeed open the
season on a Wednesday. Stupid Mariners of notes open once

(00:34):
opening day twenty six man day roster. JP Crawford unlikely
to start the year healthy.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
He will be on the.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Injured list as well. Let's see what else cracking Losing
to shoot out to Forida Panza last night five before
and next up they take on Tampa tomorrow at three thirty.
Let's go, man, we got to show it to go.
Let's go, let's go. Here we go, journalists, broadcast and
print and otherwise we'll join us in a second with
what today means. Also another gentleman, Mike movem Vukovich from

(01:01):
the Athletical Joint has coming up the bottom of the
hour David Locke at one forty five. I'm gonna ask
David lok how this team can be competitive in the
first couple of years we got that. Coming up one
forty five, we had so much going on. We're gonna
hear the Adam Silver news conference, the stuff that's he
talked for a long time today we're gonna hear at
two o'clock, basically everything having to do with expansion. Try

(01:22):
to answer any questions you will have. Here's what we're
doing though at the Queen Anne Beer Hall today. This
is the new Jalis Goes. This is the new rally
in the alley spot, and it has been since Climate
Pledge opened, even before that as well. The Queen An
Beer Hall is gonna have a celebration eight not the celebration.
The celebration will come down the road, but they're gonna

(01:43):
have a celebration today. There's a lot of people in
here for lunch, simply see how's gonna be here in
while they're gonna sell the T shirts. We'll tell you
about those and how you can get those. But maybe
come in, raise a pint, have a glass, say hello,
and just kind of take a deep breath and say
We're almost there. A long, long weight is almost over.
Since two thousand and eight, when this team, the Sonics left,

(02:06):
moved to Oklahoma City, when the city of Seattle sold
out forty one years of history by not allowing the
federal judge Marsha Peckman to come up with their final ruling,
we've been without the NBA. But that's gonna end very soon,
more than likely in the fall of twenty twenty eight. Jess,

(02:27):
let me know when David Aldridge is there. I don't
want to make him wait. Sure, Well, okay, we're gonna
get him on in just a couple of seconds. I'm
gonna read what it says in the press release today
from the National Basketball Association, the NBA Board of Governors
today voted to authorize the league to formally explore potential
team expansion.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
To Las Vegas and Seattle.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
As part of this process, the NBA has engaged investment
bank JT PGAT Partners as a strategic advisor to evaluate
prospective markets. Seattle and Vegas are in the queue, as
they would say, they are on the horizon, and we
are here to talk about about it today again. Come
on by the Queen Anne beer Hall did you say, David,
is there?

Speaker 4 (03:04):
We have our man.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
David Aldridge is a busy man, like a very busy man.
But if you're an NBA fan here in Seattle, you
know the name. He's now with the Athletic. He has
been covering this league forever, in fact, so long ago
that he was actually covering the NBA. And we had
a team here eighteen years ago and well before that
as well, senior calumnists for the Athletic.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
He wrote a great story today. I would urge people
to go read it.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
With NBA expected to formally begin expansion, vetting what's next
in Seattle in Vegas? David Aldridge, I appreciate you covering
out some time for us here in Seattle today.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
How are you?

Speaker 5 (03:36):
I'm good. How are we all doing?

Speaker 6 (03:37):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (03:38):
You know what we're doing better than we've been doing
in a long time out here.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
As you can imagine.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
How do you think we're doing? Great? Buddy, we're doing.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
You covered games here, You've been to this place, even
though it was the coliseum or Key Arena. But you
know what Seattle basketball is all about. What's what's just
someone who covers this for a living. What's your reaction today?

Speaker 5 (04:01):
I think, you know, it certainly seemed inevitable right for
the last several years, that this was the way the
league was eventually going to go. The question was would
they expand would they look into expanding because they haven't
actually expanded yet, because there were and I think Adam
Silver said at his press conference today, there's still some
owners that are like, why should we expand. Let's just

(04:25):
you know, we have this great new media rights deal
with seventy seven billion dollars and I'd rather not split
it to otherwise, you know, I'd rather keep the one
thirtieth we're getting for ourselves. And I think there's still
some owners that believe that. But it certainly seems that
the consensus now among ownership is to at least look
at what the markets are in Seattle and Vegas and

(04:48):
see who's willing to come up with. What we and
other people have reported is anywhere between seven and billion,
seven and ten billion dollars in expansion fees to pay
four getting into the league, and that's what it's going
to be.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
David, do you think there was any questions today that
they would move ahead in the process they got the
twenty three votes needed, or maybe more. Who knows, But
do you think that there was any question you mentioned
like some guys may not want to split that money.
James Dolan, we've heard his name quite a bit as well.
Do you think there was a question was very concern.

Speaker 5 (05:20):
I don't think Adam would have said it as strongly
as he said it at All Star Weekend if there
was any real thought that they may not have the votes.
And I think this league is very very deliberate in
how it proceeds with public pronouncements. And for him to
say that they were going to have a Board of
Governor's meeting in March to specifically talk about expansion, I

(05:45):
didn't get the sense that once he said that that
there was going to be a note load on expansion,
they would have continued to speak in generality, He's about
expansion and then maybe down the road. It is something
what they've said basically for the last decade, right, no
better than anybody.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yep.

Speaker 5 (06:01):
They were very specific, very intentional about saying Seattle and
Las Vegas. And once they say that, it kind of
gave me the sense that they know that this is
where they want to go and they want to see
if this thing is going to work or not for real.
And he was very clear that they need to know
aboy the end of this year whether they're going or not.

(06:24):
And I think that they won't knowbody the end of
this year. And again I would be surprised, even though
he caveated it a little at the end, I would
be surprised that there aren't ownership groups in Seattle and
Las Vegas with more than enough capital to make this go.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, I don't think that'll be a problem.

Speaker 3 (06:42):
David Aldridge, Senior ut an NBA for the Athletic joining
us here with Queen An Beer Hall. Today people are
raising the glass, having a little kind of a temper,
but still a little bit of a celebration, which is fun.
I want to just touch on before I let you go, David,
one thing that you wrote about today, because I think
this is something that a lot of us who have
covered this, that have been around it, sat in the
in the meeting in two thousand and eight and then

(07:03):
saw the team leave. We've been wondering about I've saw
it a long time. In Seattle's a little bit of
a chip in the relocation game in terms of trying
to get maybe a building built. He old Portland, although
they're getting the three hundred and fifty million dollars in
terms of capital coming into the Motor Center. But whether
it's Memphis or any other team, is relocation Is that

(07:23):
just completely off the table now that they're moving ahead
with expansion and where do relocation come into play over
the last couple of years.

Speaker 7 (07:30):
I don't. I don't know that.

Speaker 5 (07:32):
I don't know that relocations off the table.

Speaker 8 (07:36):
You know.

Speaker 5 (07:37):
I think there certainly is at least some sentiment among
some owners to look at that a little harder to
see if there is a solution to a couple of
the cities that are always kind of mentioned in these things,
and it's I just think it's so unfair to like
put those cities out there. I know that you know
the cities that I'm talking about, and everybody's listening. Those
cities are dark gyms, But I just I just hate

(07:59):
it because they're they have fans too, you know, who
have supported their teams for a long time, and to
kind of be put out there as well your team
could leave now, I just think I just think it's unseemly.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
I hate it.

Speaker 5 (08:10):
You didn't like it in two thousand and eight, they
don't like it now, right so, but certainly I think
that's something I think. I don't know that one is
exclusive to the other. I don't think that expansion means
that there's no chance that there's relocation in the next decade.
I don't know that it means that there wouldn't that
there will be, But I do think that those cities

(08:33):
have one. I would assume if this expansion goes away,
I think it's going to go with Seattle in Vegas
getting teams. Now, you look at the landscape of what
other places could an NBA franchise move to. Right, if
you take Seattle in Vegas off the board, they have
clearly been the top two for a while. And there

(08:54):
I will say this, there is still there are people
who are like, we really need to look at Mexico
City for real, like seriously, because it's a really promising
market and for a team that for a lead that
always wants to go international. That's still out there. Vancouver
is still out there with some people, you know, because
there's some people that thought they didn't get a fair

(09:16):
shake the last time and they would like to have
a second team in Canada. So it is possible that
you could have relocation after expansion, I'm not sure that
there would be quite as much appetite for it, because
you're well, I shouldn't say that there could potentially be
appetite for it, but I think that relocation is not

(09:40):
at the front of their attention right now. Let's put
that way.

Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, I'm with you.

Speaker 3 (09:46):
You know, it's an interesting dynamic we've been living through
the last few years in the sense here in Seattle,
David that you know, when things came up, the Malouf
sale to Chris Hansen that never really went through back
in twenty thirteen, and things like that. Yeah, the appetit
height to take another town's team in this market. It
went from no way would I ever want to do
that to at this point we don't care. We want

(10:07):
a team, to the point now where we're at where
it's like, this is the best scenario expand give us
our history back and it's clean and it feels better,
and it's just it's it's you know, we're getting things righted.
What would you to wrap it up? What would you
tell Seattle Sonics fans, Seattle sports fans, how how excited
should they be?

Speaker 7 (10:28):
Well?

Speaker 5 (10:29):
Look again, I think that they are certainly further down
the road than they were six months ago. With this,
it has coalesced at least to the point where the
league has to is seriously going to look at this
now and has a time and it does not have
an endless timeframe like he's very specifically said, by the

(10:52):
end of twenty twenty six, we need to go or
no go with this. So there is de greates pressure
to get this done one way or the other. And again,
I will be very surprised if they come back at
the end of calendar twenty twenty six and said we
just couldn't find anybody that could pay the seven billion.
We couldn't find a single entity in either city that

(11:14):
could or either or in one of the two cities,
we couldn't find anybody. You guys are very well aware
of the cracking group and all of the NBA ties
that are there, and the fact that the building was
built to retrofit be able to retrofit for an NBA team.
I mean, it's just I never say never, because I've

(11:37):
been burned too many times by believing something that was
definitely going to happen. But I would be extremely surprised
if there was not an expansion team in Seattle and
Vegas by the end of this year. I just this
is just not how the league operates. And you know,
he caveated it with we're in a very unstable world,

(11:59):
which is true, which is very true.

Speaker 7 (12:03):
But in the very.

Speaker 5 (12:05):
Unstable world, you just did a seventy seven billion dollar
right steal. It was an unstable world a year ago
when that deal got finalized. So it's still so. Capitalists
tend to find a way to make things work, even
an unstable time.

Speaker 1 (12:21):
It's fun feeling they're going to figure out a way
to get this through.

Speaker 3 (12:26):
I think I think you're right, folks. You can read
David's work at the Athletic. We have a ton of
your writers on on our show, on this particular show
here at Kjarren, Seattle, all the time, and so we
we love the Athletic. We love the fact you carved
out some time for us today. David Aldridge, a long
time NBA writer, broadcaster and joining us here.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
We appreciate your time today. Thanks David, my pleasure.

Speaker 5 (12:48):
Good talk to you.

Speaker 3 (12:49):
David Aldridge joining us here. All right, we got a
lot coming up. I'm gonna keep it right here, Jess.
We'll break here in a couple minutes, because I want
this day is special for so many reasons, and I
want to make sure that you, the listener, the sonic fan,
the sports fan, has your say. I mentioned this yesterday
a little bit and it was surprising. And I don't
know if Anders is in there with you, Jess, or

(13:10):
it's just you right now, just you. We've seen really
kind of a tepid, it's sometimes even negative response on
the text line yes, over the last couple of weeks,
since his story first started to kind of percolate and
come out. Now that we're here, the release is out.
We're gonna hear from Adam Silver at two o'clock and
we carried it live earlier with MG in the midday.

(13:31):
How we feeling? Is this a day to celebrate for you?
Four nine four to five one on the Takuma doadge
text line four nine four or five one?

Speaker 2 (13:38):
Is this a day for you to celebrate?

Speaker 6 (13:40):
For me?

Speaker 2 (13:40):
It is for me? It is this is data celebrate.

Speaker 4 (13:43):
This is the most significant step.

Speaker 3 (13:45):
This is I was just doing a thing here on
TV a minute ago with one of the guys doing
a live shot, and I said the same thing. I said,
this is This is the most significant thing that has
happened in this move in this movement to get a.

Speaker 2 (13:57):
Team back since we've been here. This is it.

Speaker 3 (14:00):
There's not even a question about that. It's the most
significant day and we should be excited. Yeah, you can
temper your enthusiasm with the great unknown of could it
not happen? Sure that's not going to be the case.
This is going to happen. We will have a team
here more than likely in twenty twenty eight, more than

(14:22):
likely owned by the current or at least an investor
group led by the current folks that run the Seattle
Crack and Climate Plagerien except for Sam Halloway at the
lead and other investors. I don't believe what David Aldridge
said is accurate in terms of the money will I
will push back on that. I don't think it's going
to be the seven billion dollars we're hearing. I think
that's way over inflated by an NBA owner or two

(14:45):
that's trying to get that out there.

Speaker 4 (14:46):
Oh, it makes sense, but.

Speaker 3 (14:47):
It doesn't matter to you as a fan, to be
honest with you, that doesn't matter for you as a
fan is today to day to seller. I can't tell
you how to feel. I can tell you how I feel.
I feel like I feel kind of a weird almost relief, like, Okay,
we're finally We're finally done getting jacked around here, We're
finally done getting pushed around here.

Speaker 2 (15:06):
I feel relieved.

Speaker 3 (15:08):
I feel like we finally got to the point now
where we can take that next step where we can
actually be excited. So I kind of feel more relief
in elation. But I do feel a lot of good
emotions today. I don't know about you, Jess.

Speaker 4 (15:20):
I think relief is a very good word to use,
to be honest, because I had mentioned yesterday that I
had witnessed the fall of so many businesses and how
I kind of saw lower Queena wither in the absence.
But I came right on the tail end, or it
takes a long time for that, you know, flower bed

(15:41):
to dry, if you will. And I think relief is
perfect because hey, we are not going to be a
pawn in their game any.

Speaker 3 (15:49):
No, No, this is this is, this is us moving forward. Hey,
I got a good friend of mine just sat down
next to me.

Speaker 4 (15:53):
Well let's go.

Speaker 2 (15:54):
Our man Justin Andrews would call him juice, all right, juice.

Speaker 3 (15:57):
He owns the place here, Queen Anne Beer Hall, Occidental
Beer Hall of course, the the Moss Bay Hall over
there in Kirkland.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
For all the people on the east side. Uh, this
is cool.

Speaker 3 (16:10):
I'm a Southeast King County guy. They look down on me.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
He likes to rip on us east side. That's what
it is. What is today?

Speaker 6 (16:16):
Mean?

Speaker 8 (16:17):
Man, it's it's the best news we've had, uh, since
two thousand and eight on this team, in this franchise.
It's it's, without a doubt, the best news we've had.
And it's it's it's a it's a reason to celebrate.
I walked in here today and you said, I told you.
I said, yeah, we got David lock popping on earlier.

Speaker 3 (16:33):
All right, locked on, We're gonna break down the NBA
like only he can. Right, We're gonna do that. And
you mentioned something that jumped out at me. He said, ah,
rally in the alley? Oh yeah, Last Goes doesn't exist anymore?
Is this the new rally in the alley? I hope so, man.

Speaker 8 (16:46):
I think the Queen Ann Beer Hall, we've we've we've
kind of cemented ourselves here on this on this hill
now is a big part of the sports culture. We've
had an amazing run with the with the Kraken getting
to do the playoffs and in year two, man, we're
just we're just excited. We we've had a blast with
the Storm fans and this is just such a cool community.
The early two thousand's, late nineties, Queen Anne was incredible,

(17:11):
and it's and it and it completely shifted after two
thousand and eight.

Speaker 3 (17:15):
Yeah, I'm gonna ask you this because it's not just
you guys.

Speaker 2 (17:19):
We love you and we're glad to be here today.

Speaker 3 (17:20):
We'll tell you about what people got coming up later
on today, especially when Safti comes in here and starts
yelling and screaming at three o'clock. This is a calm
before the storm. Bl What does it mean for the
business community around here?

Speaker 2 (17:29):
You mentioned it.

Speaker 3 (17:30):
I mean, listen, I got Jacob'shaughnessy's is gone, T. S.
McHugh's is closed down. The old what's the old places
to me? All these places have shut down? You mentioned it.

Speaker 2 (17:41):
Queen Anne used to be the hub. We've seen some.

Speaker 3 (17:44):
Stuff come back, for sure. You guys are thriving. Buckley's
is doing well. There's other places around We're starting to
see some things pop up, but adding forty one dates
because I think it's an important part of the process.
What does that mean for the community business wise? What
does that mean for the local economy?

Speaker 8 (18:00):
Well, I can only reflect on the before and after
with the crack in that forty games made all the difference.
It's it brings so much business people walking around, just
visiting the restaurants, the coffee shops, I mean everything. It
just brings a vibrancy back to this area. As we
mentioned that the this this was the epicenter of Seattle

(18:21):
for a long time and that just changed and it
was it was it got really sad. I mean places
were boarded up and then COVID hit and it got
even really sad.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
But we've seen this.

Speaker 8 (18:31):
Incredible emergence of Queen Anne and forty games. Forty one
games over you know, the a five month period of time.
I mean, that's that's that's gonna be awesome. Aj from
Fox was breaking it down. There's there's ninety one open
days between you know, middle of October and middle of
April during the NBA season. There's ninety one open days
at Climate Pledge that don't have events, that.

Speaker 3 (18:53):
Don't have the cracking torn or an event right now exactly.
You can fit forty one days in there.

Speaker 6 (18:57):
You can easily fit forty one in there.

Speaker 2 (18:58):
It's never going to be quiet up here. No, don't
think so. Like we've never had the thing.

Speaker 3 (19:01):
We've never had a building like this here, Like we've
never had that, Like the Coliseum didn't had one tenant.
Uh Kyarina had various tenants, sonics, thunderbirds, then the storm later,
but it's never and you couldn't put big shows in
there because of the issues getting trucks in and out
all those things. Now we have a different situation one hundred.

(19:22):
Are we gonna see downtown Seattle, Seattle Center come back?

Speaker 8 (19:25):
I absolutely believe. So there's without a doubt, there's gotta be.
This is gonna change this area or I mean it
already has. Yeah, you get to work inside Climate Pledge.
You know how incredible that that that that building is.

Speaker 6 (19:36):
They did.

Speaker 8 (19:37):
They did a phenomenal job. They they didn't They didn't
miss a beat. Every detail. The concerts and there sound better,
the the the walkways are white. Everything is just better
about that building. It's it's gonna be.

Speaker 2 (19:48):
It's it has made for the NBA it's it's gonna
be the perfect place for for this team to come out.
All right, what are you got coming up to? What's
going on here?

Speaker 6 (19:54):
What are you doing?

Speaker 2 (19:55):
All right? So, uh, we're celebrating. Why not?

Speaker 8 (19:57):
This is there's there's a good reason to celebrate, and
the reason to celebrate is a reason to celebrate in
So let's let's have some fun today. We're gonna be
doing five dollars smash burgers simply. Seattle's coming in here
to do a little pop up. They're selling some some
of their new uh, their new shirts. It's just gonna
be fun. It's a fun day, and we want we
want to see the NBA fans come out. We want
to see the Sonic fans come out. Let's let's let's hug.

(20:19):
That's high five. Let's let's keep this truck on the road.

Speaker 3 (20:21):
All right, you're a Sonic fan, you're a Seattle sports fan.
Come on by today. Softy is starting at three. I'll
be here till three, Softy from three to seven place.
Let's get this place going and we're happy hour later
on this afternoon. All Right, rally in the alley, Let's
pack this place. Let's do it. That's justin here from
the beer Hall. We love these guys. We'll take a break,
come back. We're gonna check back in with another writer
from the Athletic who's the NBA business writer, and find

(20:42):
out exactly what the next steps are in the process
and how close we are to getting the NBA back
on this historic day on Sports Radio ninety three point
three KJFM.

Speaker 1 (21:06):
From the R and R Foundation Specialist broadcast studio. Now
back to Ian Furnesz powered by Seattle's closest sports book,
Snow call Me Casino and Hotel. On Sports Radio ninety
three point three kjr FM.

Speaker 3 (21:22):
Back live at the Queen Anne Beer Hall, the shadow
of Climate Pledge Arena. It is a special day here
on Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM. NBA
Board of Governors taking the first significant step towards expansion
including Seattle in Vegas and maybe, just maybe, after eighteen
long years, it will probably be twenty when it's all

(21:42):
said and done, the NBA coming back to a city
that hosted it for forty one years. We got a
lot going on today, four nine, four to five one.
I want to hear your reaction on the text line,
but more importantly, right now on the Beacon Ploding hotline.
Mike working off from the Athletic. He's the NBA and
basketball business writer. Had a great story today in the
Athletic NBA governors talking about the voting for the expansion today.

Speaker 2 (22:05):
Mike, I appreciate you joining us.

Speaker 3 (22:06):
I know it's a busy day for you, but as
you can imagine, it's an exciting day for us out
here in Seattle.

Speaker 2 (22:10):
How are you doing today?

Speaker 9 (22:13):
I'm good, You're right. It's been been a busy day
with the border Gunner's meeting and anamisover coming out of
it talking about expansion, which is now officially explored.

Speaker 7 (22:22):
You can check that off.

Speaker 3 (22:24):
Tell tell fans out here in Seattle that have been
waiting forever, what does this mean? How significant of a
day is that? We think it's pretty big? What about you?

Speaker 5 (22:36):
Listen?

Speaker 9 (22:36):
It's huge because now it's it's it's huge and both
just the start of something in defense that is the
lead finally kind of officially addressing this. Right after talking
around the end of a half decade, you know they're
gonna start looking with the market. Looks like the instrumentors
are they hire the advisory firm and all that type
of stuff, and it's you know, it's it's there's a process.

(23:00):
But also you know, it doesn't necessarily mean that the
NBA will span today or tomorrow. Is Adam Silver said
today that there's a chance they might not expend at
all or potentially add you know, just one team, which
you know, well, we'll see who comes out of it.
But they're gonna start with to see what they can
get for a franchise and see who's out there, and

(23:23):
they hope to get something done by the end of
this calendar year, and so we should have an answer
by then whether this actually comes through to fruition.

Speaker 3 (23:30):
Mike Common to assume that the that the investors and
the ownership is there only because I know that at
least one group year is more than prepared to move
forward with it. Maybe there's multiple groups and bidders which
would take the question of is there anybody interested off
the table.

Speaker 2 (23:48):
So let's assume that that's the case, that there will
be at.

Speaker 3 (23:51):
Least one or two interested groups in each of the cities,
or maybe just what we care about is Seattle. What
could derail this because they got the twenty three votes today,
is that the biggest hurdle that they would have in
terms of ownership in the NBA, or is there still
a chance that James Dolan and others could could put
a monkey wrench into this?

Speaker 9 (24:11):
Oh look, I mean I think the one thing that
Silver made a count of saying today is that there
are some owners who do think they're good at thirty. Right,
we don't know how that coning. As you said, they
need to get to at least twenty three. So that
means no more uh you know than than six or
seven can come together. And really it probably comes down

(24:31):
to what the mass it looks like. You know, the
expansion seeds gets split up amongst two owners, something gets
shared with the players, and the national revenue gets diluted
if you add one or two more teams. And you know,
I think the insistance here from the NBA, and again,
uh you you take this at the level of skepticism
that you want, is that they're saying this is a

(24:52):
strategic decision for them in terms of growth and markets
that they think will add to their product and not
just the financial one. And so uh well see what
comes out of that. But you know, it does seem
like there's a non zero chance that maybe there isn't
any expansion, but I would say it does still seem likely.

Speaker 3 (25:07):
At this point, Mike, Before I let you go, one
of the things I was curious about we just went
through this whole craziness with I guess what would be
called relocation, but the demise of the PAC twelve and
then you know the schools out here are Oregon and
Washington go into the Big ten, USU CLA and all
that stuff. One of the things that happened when Oregon

(25:27):
and Washington went to the Big Ten they did not
and still are not receiving a full share of the
media rights money and revenue. What do you think is
going to happen in regards to that. Has that been discussed?
Will the NBA owners give full revenue share for this
billion dollar television and the media rights deal to two
new teams?

Speaker 9 (25:47):
Those are good questions.

Speaker 6 (25:48):
I don't know.

Speaker 9 (25:48):
I don't know that it's been discussed yet. I'm sure
something that's in the back of people's minds, you know.
I think it is interesting that a team that it
sums in, you know, in year one, they're set to
only have a salary chap that's set at truth of
the rest of the league. And the year two as
the eighty percent of the rest of league. Maybe that's
an indication that they wouldn't receive revenue commenser with every

(26:09):
other team because they won't meet us and they won't
be to.

Speaker 5 (26:12):
Spend as much or won't be able to spend as much.
So maybe that's at least the clue of what they could.

Speaker 9 (26:17):
Possibly do, But at this point, I don't know how
that would look like, although I think in the NBA,
you know, maybe it doesn't create the same competitive issues
as it would in college sports, just because of the
nature of that league and how it does kind of
trend towards parody and its rules.

Speaker 3 (26:32):
We feel like we're ready out here, Mike, before I
let you go last thing, we feel like we're more
than ready. The building is set to go. Climate Pledgerina
has a you'll laugh. I work for the hockey team.
I do television for them, and we laugh because the
NBA locker room. There's an NBA locker room, at least
a couple, but one that actually says NBA locker room
down the hallways in Climate Pledge Arena. We use it

(26:55):
now to store some of their TV equipment for the
crack and Hockey Network, And it's a funny thing. It's
a battle between who wants to store stuff in there.
But we know that this building. I say that just
because this building is ready. At some point we'll have
to store our TV gear elsewhere. Uh, we know we're
ready here Vegas. We're not really sure Bill Foley is
he going to be a part of it. Do they
want to play in tea mobile arena or not? Is

(27:16):
there a chance we could see one as opposed to
two expansion teams? Would they go odd like they've done before?

Speaker 9 (27:24):
I mean, look, there's a chance, and so I don't
want to say no.

Speaker 5 (27:27):
I think it would cause a.

Speaker 9 (27:29):
Lot of problems for the league, right playoff seating, conferences,
travel scheduling like. So I'd say it's not impossible, but
also it might just create more headaches than it's worth
for the NBA if it were to be implemented.

Speaker 3 (27:45):
Well, listen, we'll keep up reading the athletic Mike. Here's
the good news.

Speaker 2 (27:49):
My great producer Jessman now has your phone number.

Speaker 3 (27:52):
So just be aware, Mike. Be aware, sir, we might
be calling again. I think over the next two years
we could be calling again a few times. But you
know what's crazy busy day back there. We appreciate you
jumping on with us today.

Speaker 9 (28:04):
No, listen, let's do it.

Speaker 7 (28:05):
Should be fun.

Speaker 9 (28:06):
Hopefully if there's a team, I can get out the
seattle too, and then maybe that means I guess to
see what comments Pudge. We'll check from the inside.

Speaker 2 (28:12):
But why don't you, yeah, get the athletic.

Speaker 3 (28:14):
Listen, you get the athletic to send you out here
to do a little recon mission and figure things out.
We'll get you hooked up beforehand where I'm sitting right
now at the beer hall. We'll get you dialed in,
we'll get you a tour of the place. You'll be
set to go.

Speaker 2 (28:26):
All right, all I heard is beer, so I'm in.
I love it. Thanks Mike, I appreciate it.

Speaker 5 (28:33):
Thanks guys.

Speaker 3 (28:34):
All right, good stuff there. Yeah, so we've got all
the insight from the the guys covering at David Oldridge,
Aldridge and Mike working off from the from the Athletic,
the NBA Business writer. Uh, we want to hear from you.
We're gonna carve out a bunch of time in the
two o'clock hour to hear from you.

Speaker 2 (28:49):
Softies. Here at three o'clock today.

Speaker 3 (28:52):
The folks from simply Seattle will be here soon to
get things set up and ready to rock and roll
and get things going there for them. In addition to that,
we will also UH will also be talking to a
ton of guests as the afternoon goes on.

Speaker 2 (29:04):
But we want to hear from you.

Speaker 3 (29:05):
I want you to go to the iHeartRadio app the
red microphone that's the talk back Mike. Give us your
reaction to today, Jess. We'll go through those vanders a
little bit later. We'll get your text as well. Four nine,
four to five one on the Takomindage text line. When
we come back, an old voice, the old voice of
the Sonics, David Locke, will join us a little locked
on what can this team do? I'm gonna ask Locke, Hey,

(29:26):
I don't care. I'm moving ahead, man, Jess. I'm moving ahead.

Speaker 4 (29:29):
I like where you're at because you were no talk
until this.

Speaker 3 (29:32):
When what will the expansion draft look like?

Speaker 2 (29:37):
That's how far ahead I'm jumping right now.

Speaker 4 (29:39):
We'll t I love your optimism. It's awesome.

Speaker 2 (29:41):
We'll talk to locked on sports next.

Speaker 1 (29:57):
From the R and R Foundation Specialist Broadcast Studio. Now
back to Ian Fernesz powered by Seattle Closest Sports Book,
Snow Quality Casino and Hotel on Sports Radio ninety three
point three kjr FM.

Speaker 3 (30:14):
All right, welcome back in Sports Radio ninety three point
three kjr FM. And we are at the Queen Anne
Beer Hall today and simply Seattle is here. We've got
shirts going on, it's the it's the celebration before the celebration.
And I was thinking about who to get on today,
and we're very fluid show.

Speaker 2 (30:32):
There's a couple of reasons. Our next guest is on.

Speaker 6 (30:34):
One.

Speaker 3 (30:35):
His expertise on the current NBA is top shelf, like
nobody does it better. Number two. More importantly, I walked
into the Queen Anne Beer Hall. I mentioned to my
man Juice Justin Andrews, the owner here. I said, yeah,
He says, what do you got going on today? Said,
I'm gonna get this on this Hones said, I'm gonna
have David Lock on his Oh my god, locked on.
Let's go, let's talk some NBA. You got fans up

(30:57):
here still, David Lock, how are.

Speaker 7 (30:58):
You a lot? Is? That is very rewarding and nice
to hear, so tell him thank you very much. I'm
great and super excited for Seattle. I've just been kind
of running through the list of people. I mean, you've
got Brian Robinson and that save our Sonics crew that's
worked so hard. I've got my good friend Bridget Baccisi
used to be, you know, my boss, so I know
desperately wants the team back and contesting with her today.

(31:20):
You've got you know, all sorts of people that just
you know, also the you know, the guy in Kent,
the person in Makatilla, or the woman and somewhere else.

Speaker 8 (31:28):
You know.

Speaker 7 (31:28):
It's just it's part of give it back to being
part of the culture of Seattle. Those were special days
we were We've had a few ballgames this year that
I've been calling that maybe haven't been super intense, and
we ran down memory lane and somehow the other day
we're talking about being seven at the arena and the
Marines coming out of the seat, out of the ceiling
and circulate circling the Sonic logo and the crowdshanding not

(31:51):
in our house when Sean Kent made free throws and
Carmelone didn't, And suddenly we're running through Frankfurtkowski and every
other member of that Sonics team because we were playing
one of those schemes right now that the NBA needs
to deal with, and you know, it was you know,
and we were just all me remembering, and all of
a sudden, my sex Twitter feed was blowing up with
old jazz fans remembering those rivalries, and so, I mean,

(32:14):
just really, you know, I'm very happy for Seattle. I'm
very happy for the NBA. I'm happy for myself that
I might actually travel to Seattle twice instead of New Orleans.
That sounds like the best trade I've made. The worst
trade that was ever made in history of the NBA,
which would be traveling to Oklahoma City instead of Seattle, only
rival by traving to Memphis instead of Vancouver. So yeah,

(32:35):
I mean, it would have been nice if they got this
right and to see Seattle Vancouver instead of Vegas. But
I understand.

Speaker 3 (32:40):
David Locke is the voice of the Utah Jazz the last
time the Sonics were on KJR radio. He was the
radio voice for that before they disappeared onto parts unknown
for the final two forgetful years here in Seattle of
NBA basketball. Now a longtime voice of the Utah Jazz,
but again the former voice of the Sonics here as well,

(33:00):
Uh David and longtime pre and postgame host, and I've
got I just you know what's funny is I thought
about some of the same things you just did as
this process has been going along, and having worked in
Salt Lake with and for you and on Jazz Broadcast
for a while as well, and then Blazer TV broadcast,
I've always missed the Sonics. But one thing I loved
about this, the Jazz and the Sonics rivalry was so special.

(33:25):
We're a long ways away from that because we don't
have a team, and the Jazz need to go a
long ways to get back to the level they once were.
But the current NBA, we hear about all the tanking
and all the negative, negative stuff. What's the good about
the NBA right now? Give me some good things.

Speaker 2 (33:40):
That we're going to see in a couple of years here.

Speaker 7 (33:43):
Oh, I mean, I think you have a four person
MVP battle right now that is as incredible as the
league has ever seen. I don't know that we've ever
had four players at the caliber of Shai Gilgess, Alexander Luka, Doncic,
Nicole Jokitch and Victor webin Yama ever competing for an
MVP at the same time like this, I'm pretty certain

(34:03):
we've never had it. We've had, you know, Michael and
Michael and Carl battle, and Michael and Charles battled, and
you know, Moses and somebody else's battle, but we've never
had a four forse race like this. And then when
you look at the ages of Jo Kisch has been
four or five years and Jo Kisch is putting together
Ronnie's three years. Every great player in the history of

(34:24):
the NBA has been top five MVP ballot for ten
straight years. It's just an incredible accomplishment if you think
about that. But you think about the seven eight greatest
players in the NBA, that's the lot your top five
MVT peak nded for ten straight years. Jo Kich is
on year seven this year, so he's about to be
there with Duncan and Elijah Won and Bird and Magic
and Jordan and the greatest of all time and these

(34:45):
next kids are coming and Victor is going to be
one of those two. And there's nothing like it. I
can't explain what Victor Rebnyam is like to you. It
actually it kind of blows your mind. It's like going
to watch a concert of this year. You actually never
thought you'd see anything like it. And then to watch
him play and watch him move. You've got Shay doing
what she's doing. Luca is a single, one man offense.
You've got those four players. Oh I got here, Sonic fans.

(35:09):
All four of those are in the Western Conference. Good luck, welcome.

Speaker 2 (35:14):
Let me let me get to this before I let
you go.

Speaker 3 (35:17):
David Locke joining us, the we don't know and again,
look I'm I'm way. This is how it works. You
know you did sports ready for zillionears. We're gonna jump
ahead of the horse.

Speaker 6 (35:25):
Here.

Speaker 3 (35:26):
We got guys with simply say I selling shirts today
that we got now all kinds of fun stuff here
at the Queen and Beer Hall.

Speaker 7 (35:32):
Get me one, Get me one. That's what I want. Jam,
This is from me being on the show. I need one.
Send one to me.

Speaker 2 (35:39):
What size? What size?

Speaker 7 (35:42):
I'm a large still, I'm a large. Email. You just
got me off the peloton.

Speaker 2 (35:45):
All right.

Speaker 3 (35:47):
This is why I'm jumping ahead, because we're ways away.
But the only thing we have to look back on
is the Charlotte Bobcats expansion draft.

Speaker 2 (35:54):
And I bring that up for this.

Speaker 3 (35:55):
Let's assume right now and this is where I'm gonna
just this is where you're gonna nerd out, because that's
why I love you. Let's assume it's similar rules. Eight
players protected on a roster per team. You can take
one guy off of the team. It's probably a two
team Vegas and Seattle thing. We're hoping Vegas is late
and we get just one and we get the Vegas
Golden Knights treatment. But let's just assume that. Can you

(36:18):
put together a competitive team? Do you think in the
first couple of years.

Speaker 7 (36:23):
So yes, maybe not in the first couple of years.
But actually, let me just share one conversation I have
with someone in the NBA front office recently. It is
in the CBA, what the rules are right now? If
you're actually looking at CBA, they have expansion draft in
the CBA. He's not sure they'll follow them do. He
thinks there might just be a desire by the team
to just have the cast space and not as to

(36:44):
worry about a roster. So it's an interesting concept because
the biggest change that has made in the NBA in
the time that it left Seattle is how flue the
rosters are, how short the contracts are, and how restricted
the collective bargain agreement is. So there might be an
argument if you're the Sonics, you'd rather just have capstick.

(37:05):
I think you'll probably get one player from these teams,
and they won't be very appealing, and they'll probably be
bad contracts because the new collective barrier. I cannot explain
to you how incredibly prohibitive the new collective barrier agreement is.
That is the best news I can give you as
a Sonics fan. The league has flastened out a great deal.
Oklahoma City, unfortunately, is great. Nctory thinkty crazy. It's still

(37:29):
not over it, nor are you, nor is anyone. I'm
right there with all of you. I'm still not over
I still hate them every time I see him, but
people are so freaking nice, and I'm like this, screw
all of you for being nice. It's even more mad
when I go see you. My engineer there, Britt Robinson,
is the nicest man in the world. Like finally told me,
I really wish you were a jerk. It would make
my logic feel better because you know, for first prize

(37:49):
you get two days. Still Oklahoma City for second price
you get five. So anyway, those like Oklahoma City is
gonna be a major money problem here in the next
two years. Everyone it's in major money problems all the year.
The Jash has made a massive trade, they're going to
be a major money problems. So the league's collective argament
is so restrictive right now and is flattening the league.

(38:10):
It's also why it's tanking so bad. This is a
different issue with the reason the tanking so bad it
because every team's good, so so thank you have to
make it so obvious right now because every team's good.
Second thing, there's now a ninety percent salary for I
know this is geeky, but every team has to be
there ninety percent. Surch mansion teams will get a little leeway,
but it also means that everyone's much more even than
they've ever been, so it will be a much more

(38:31):
easy environment to compete for Seattle than anywhere else before.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
I love that. I love your hate distain.

Speaker 7 (38:37):
I know that was super geeky, but no, yeah, I
call them.

Speaker 3 (38:42):
Thank God we do too, David, You're the best, buddy.
I appreciate popping on again. People up here.

Speaker 7 (38:50):
Congratulations in Seattle. Way to go the patient. The next
we quick Bunny, when we were a little kids, pull
these patients the virtue. It seems like a bigger way,
too freaking long and been really unfair. It's super happy
for you. I can't wait to call my first game
in Seattle. I will high size every single one to
do when that day comes.

Speaker 3 (39:08):
I can't wait, buddy, can't wait to see you. Thanks
all for popping on. That is David Locke. We'll take
a break, come back. We'll hear from the Commissioner Adam Silver.
Coming up next.

Speaker 2 (39:20):
No from the Star Rentals.

Speaker 1 (39:22):
Sports Tests Jordan ninety three point three kg RFM sports headlines.

Speaker 2 (39:26):
All right, Helen's are brought to you by a frost
brewed corps. I choose chill.

Speaker 3 (39:29):
We are live at the Queen Anne Beer Hall and
the shadow of Climate Pledge Arena, the future home of
the National Basketball Association. Why well, Today the Board of
Governors of the NBA voted to authorize the league to
formally explore potential team expansion to Vegas and Seattle.

Speaker 2 (39:44):
That's a long way.

Speaker 3 (39:45):
Of saying we're getting a team back. We'll tell you
more about that in a second. Seahawks officially announced the
JASN extension.

Speaker 2 (39:51):
I had a chance to catch up with him.

Speaker 3 (39:52):
May not get to that interview today, but well tomorrow,
and it was actually a really fun interview. We went
one on one with JSN just a short time ago.
We should mention the Mariners announcer opening the twenty six
man roster No JP Crawford got an injury, crack and
lose in a shootout to Florida last night. They got
a point which frankly down four to one with five
minutes to go, you would have said, will you take

(40:13):
a point? Yes, one to two, got one. Nice, We'll
come back. Gets a little harder tomorrow Tampa Bay's really
good three thirty pre game four o'clock face off right
here at home for the crack at nine three point
three KJFM, Las Vegas been selected for the host for
the Super Bowl after the twenty twenty eight season as well.
Let's get to our number two.

Speaker 1 (40:35):
From the R and R Foundation specialist broadcast studio. Now
back to He and FURNESZ powered by Seattle's closest sportsbook,
Snow Quality Casino and Hotel on Sports Radio ninety three
point three KJR.

Speaker 2 (40:49):
Fam.

Speaker 3 (40:52):
All right, welcome back in quinn a Beer Hall, Hour
number two of the show. We are hanging out this
afternoon and a reason to celebrate. Maybe not the celebration,
but a celebration, no doubt about it. In just a minute,
we'll hear from Adam Silver. And what we did is
we took his, however long, sixty minute press conference kind
of down to twelve because frankly, we don't care about

(41:14):
what's happening with You know, if Portland wants to tank
or the Jazz want a tank, it's that's your problem.

Speaker 2 (41:19):
We'll worry about that in two years.

Speaker 3 (41:21):
We've got all his thoughts on expansion coming up in
a second. But again, the NBA Board of Governors voted
to authorize the league to formally explore potential team expansion
to Vegas and Seattle. So we're here at queen An
Beer Hall. Before we get to that, we should mention
Softy will be here at three yell and screaming being Softy,
and the simply Seattle folks are going to be here

(41:41):
selling T shirts, brand new T shirts. I think it's
not we got next, it's we got now, I think
is what it is. We got now? And the voice
you heard next to me, I wanted to get him
on before he hit it out. It's been too long.
It's also been an interesting relationship I've had with this
guy since day one when I got here and I
was doing Ian and Alease at night on KJR, when

(42:04):
I took over for David Locke back in two thousand
and six, and we were worried about keeping our NBA team.
And there's a little group called Save our Sonics that
got put together, a grassroots foundation, just a bunch of
dudes led by my friend Brian Robinson. And over the years,
so those first two three years, we talked a lot.
You were on the show. It might as well have
been on the payroll, and I always thought we would

(42:25):
save them. I always thought, you guys, I thought that
would happen.

Speaker 2 (42:29):
It didn't.

Speaker 3 (42:30):
Eighteen years later, we sit here. We got this incredible
building up up there. We're sitting in this cool place
to go before games. Maybe Queen Anne's coming back, but Brian,
I think the NBA is coming back.

Speaker 10 (42:41):
We certainly hope. So, right, it's been a long time.

Speaker 11 (42:43):
Thank you for that kind intro, and it is, you know,
it's been such a ride, right, it's been such a
journey together, and today is a really good day. And
I think that there are a lot of people who
think that it's done and it's you know, ninety nine
percent done. Probably I don't think they let it get
this far unless it was it was done. But also
we've all been at this a while. We know that

(43:04):
every time, but every time we thought that we had
clear path ahead, we found that there's reasons. So the
way I heard it described by someone the other day
was there's probably a few ups and downs ahead of us,
and that's that's kind of what I'm prepared for.

Speaker 10 (43:17):
So I'm trying hard to hold it in, but.

Speaker 3 (43:20):
Happy to be here. You got a beer in front
of you. That's what we're gonna do. Have a couple
of toast as the day goes on today. Yeah, absolutely,
I'm fifty five minutes away, so to having the one
as well. Brian, when we look back on this time,
I tell a story often. I said, you know, we
were sitting on July second, two thousand and eight. You
were in my studio at the old building just right

(43:43):
across the street from were sitting right here. We were
waiting for Judge Marsha Peckman to make her ruling. All right,
The attorney for say of our Sonnics, Paul Schneiderman and others.
We're pretty well convinced that it was going to go
the city's way, that they would have to stay here
for two more years. It's weird how things happen because
I tell the story Brian Brian got a call from

(44:04):
city Hall and said, hey, can you come down.

Speaker 2 (44:05):
Here right away?

Speaker 3 (44:06):
And we're thinking, oh, that's not good, and it wasn't.
They got the team, the team left. We were told
that was our quickest path back. Nobody thought it would
be eighteen years. Why do you think it's taken so long?

Speaker 10 (44:17):
I think this is a really hard thing to do.

Speaker 11 (44:19):
I understand now why Clay Bennett sunk his teeth in
and didn't let go, because you know, the people like
to put the word just in front of it, you know,
just build an arena, just get a team, and putting
the word just doesn't make it any easier. That these
are kind of global forces. The NBA is hard to align.
People always want to say, you know what is the NBA, thinking, well,
the NBA is not a single person. It's thirty two tribes,

(44:41):
and those thirty two tribes have or thirty tribe excuse me,
hoping to make it thirty.

Speaker 10 (44:45):
Two, and so.

Speaker 11 (44:48):
I think it has taken more investment than we ever thought,
more time than we ever thought, and all the people
who kind of thought we were getting ahead of it.
I used to think that I would make a difference,
you know, and it's it's taken billionaires, hundreds of thousands,
millions of dollars to get us to.

Speaker 10 (45:06):
Where we're at today, to set the table.

Speaker 3 (45:08):
I think you made a difference. I think I'd put
it this way. I think you made a difference. I
think a lot of our listeners listening right now have
made a difference. Companies like simply Seattle with the gear
like I'm learning or wearing like you made a difference
because the pilot lights stayed on. And I think that's important.
I think the pilot lights, through all the frustration, through

(45:28):
all of the angst, through all of the bitterness that
we all harbored and rightfully sold for so many years
and still do until we see the ball go up
in the air, climate pledge. I think despite all that,
we kept the pilot light on. And I think the
NBA understood and understands how important this is, how big
a basketball market this is. So I think everyone in

(45:50):
there anyway anybody listening, you and others, I think.

Speaker 2 (45:53):
Everybody made a difference.

Speaker 3 (45:54):
Yeah, you know, when it's Sam Hall, I'm sorry interrupt,
Sam Holloway in that group would not be interested in
an NBA team in that building if there wasn't that intro.

Speaker 11 (46:03):
I think absolutely that, you know, we have to keep
them feeling good about what they're doing, right. We have
to show them that they're appreciated and that the power
and the passion is here.

Speaker 10 (46:12):
But yeah, I.

Speaker 11 (46:13):
Uh, I let when things stalled a little bit last
year and everyone's hoping for a vote last July, I
was really of the opinion that that was we were
here in maybe one to three years before it kicks
up again. And if it was three years, my feeling
was that was the point where it just transitioned to
where it was not a continuation of the old thing.
We were going to have a start from scratch. And

(46:35):
it happening right now. If this goes through and it
marches through and we get a twenty year anniversary team,
I think what we in Seattle should feel really successful
about and keeping the Light alive is that that will
be a long term victory that that you know, we
thought we were defeedb but the buzzer didn't ring.

Speaker 10 (46:52):
The buzzers never rang like we we fought.

Speaker 11 (46:54):
And it will be a continuation of the old team,
and now we've got to find a way to bridge
the past and the few. Sure, but I think the
team will ultimately be way, way more successful because it
has so much legacy because we managed.

Speaker 10 (47:07):
To keep that alive. I feel really good about that.

Speaker 2 (47:09):
Listen.

Speaker 3 (47:10):
I appreciate you, I appreciate the friendship, appreciate you and
all you've done the whole group. There's a lot of
you guys that put a lot of time and effort
into it, away from your families and everything else. And
when that ball goes up in the air, I trust
you'll be in the building, and when you are, you
should take great pride because you're right. We lost it,
but it's coming back. Time to look forward, not look backwards.

(47:30):
And I appreciate it coming by man. Oh absolutely, thank
you so much.

Speaker 2 (47:33):
And Brian Robinson to Sam Arsnicx. Love having them on. Cheers.

Speaker 3 (47:36):
I enjoy that beer. Here's the deal. Let's hear from
the Commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver.

Speaker 12 (47:42):
Good afternoon. Everyone appreciate your being here. So we just
concluded two days of meetings with our Board of Governors.
A bunch of issues were on the agenda first and foremost.
And you all know at this point because we shoot
a release that the board voted to explore expansion in
Las VEGAEUS in Seattle. You know, I excited about that opportunity.

(48:05):
We've had discussions with elected officials both in Las Vegas
and Seattle and Nevada and the state of Washington. We
have long histories in both of those markets. Of course,
we had a franchise in Seattle for over forty years.
We have a WNBA franchise in Seattle right now, and
there's enormous amount of passion for NBA basketball in w

(48:27):
NBA basketball in that market in Las Vegas, and we
have a WNBA team in Las Vegas, been there for
several years now with great success. And I used to
joke with both Mayors Goodman Oscar and Carolyn that it
was as if we had a franchise in Las Vegas already.
With our summer league, given that we occupy that two

(48:49):
week plus period in July, it's become a major place
of operation for the league. And we've had multiple USA
Basketball training camps there as well. So I think two
markets with deep basketball routes and deep connections to the NBA,
and we're excited to begin that process. As we said

(49:11):
in the press release, we are in the process of
engaging an investment bank here in New York City called
pj T. It's led by someone named Paul Tabman, who's
been working with our league for decades. Actually was part
of a process when we expanded to Canada roughly thirty
years ago, so he's very familiar with the league, as

(49:35):
is his organization. And as I said, I anticipate enormous
interest in both those opportunities. So Tim, with that, happy
to answer any questions.

Speaker 2 (49:44):
We'll start in the third row on the right.

Speaker 13 (49:46):
Tim, I had Tim Reynolds with the AP good to
see as always on expansion. Can you share if there
was any concerns. I mean, you've talked about this and
it is a complicated thing selling in the league. We
all understand that if there was any concern that any
owners expressed, and to that end, I know it just happened.

(50:08):
What's a logical timeline You probably won't commit to one,
I get that, but what are the logical next steps
and what's the hope as far as how long this
part of the process might take.

Speaker 12 (50:18):
Sure tim there weren't concerns, I will say, in a
way weren't a good situation because there are some owners
who felt that we just frankly don't need to expand,
so they didn't necessarily see concern with going forward, but
felt we're in a very solid place with the thirty
team league we have now. I think there Seattle and

(50:40):
Las Vegas, in terms of their history and supportive NBA
basketball are unique in terms of available markets in the
US right now. No knock on any other markets, those
are just the markets were focused on. So I think
there was a discussion about, of course delution economically and
delution talent wise, and I think there was a presentation

(51:00):
by Paul Tabman and others at the league office about
what the implications are by if you're always a reminder
when you expand, you're selling equity in the existing league. So,
for example, if partners share in one thirtieth of national
television revenue or one thirtieth of international opportunities. Now if

(51:21):
you expand by one team it's one thirty first, you're
one thirty second with two teams. So there's that straight
economic analysis. There's also potential dilution of talent. I mean,
if your goal as an MBA owner ultimately is to
win a championship, no matter how well managed your team is,
if there are two more teams out there, number one,

(51:41):
you're presumably going to lose some talent to those teams.
But also it's harder to compete if there's to win
a championship if there's thirty two teams, then if there's thirty.
So again I wouldn't put that in the category of concern.
It more went in the category of considerations. But it's
also why just to make that distinction, we didn't announced
today we are expanding. We announced that we're exploring expanding,

(52:04):
And part of exploring expanding means I mean, one, of course,
there's the economic implications of what's the value of that franchise.
Those or franchises will ultimately be determined by the market,
and then the league has to make an assessment whether
it's then worth it to go forward at those valuations.
But I think they care a lot about who their
potential partner or partners might be, and then particular situations

(52:29):
in each market, like what arena would we play in,
you know, what our plans are, people looking at other arenas,
all those things are part of the consideration set. So
the discussion today and in the meetings leading up today
went more to our right, what are all the factors
that we'll look at. And then ultimately the view is
you could explore expansion more softly by just having conversations.

(52:54):
But certainly it was my view and others that we
owe it to these markets to be transparent and to
be more formal with our approach to that so that
everybody feels they have a fair shot. There's an investment banker,
there's people at the League office working on this. And
so if you are interested, and I'll say that now
to people who may be listening or watching this, if
you're interested, called the League Office, called PGAT Partners directly

(53:16):
in New York. There's and just want to make sure
everybody understands there's been no handshakes on the side, There's
been no commitments, there's been no promises to anyone. This
is this is a completely transparent process. Nothing is set
in stone right now. You asked me another part of
the question, timeline. You know, as I said before, our

(53:37):
goal was in twenty twenty six to resolve this issue
one way or the other. So I my timeline, you
know we weren't so specific with the board, is that
we need to know by the end of this calendar
year what it is we're doing. It may not be that,
you know, every eye is dotted, but that would be
our goal this year.

Speaker 14 (53:58):
The second row to and from the right, Chris Fisher,
Chris Daniels, Frokoma TV in Seattle go to c again
under these circumstances. We all know what happened eighteen years ago,
and the past is prologued to this. Since the team moved,
both Amazon and Microsoft are now two of the most
wealthiest companies in the country. Amazon is now a partner
for you. We know about all the NBA players that

(54:19):
have moved from Seattle. Tens of thousands of people have
moved to Seattle since the franchise left. So the question
is what does the city of Seattle have to do
to prove itself in this process? And do you expect
multiple bidders whether it's in Seattle.

Speaker 2 (54:32):
Or Las Ves.

Speaker 12 (54:34):
I do expect that there will be multiple bidders, and
I don't think it's about anything specific that the city
of Seattle needs to do. As you say, we have
strong business partners there. I travel there frequently. The Storm
have had great success in Seattle. It's just a wonderful market,
and on top of that enormous economic growth around technology.
I think it has more to do with who comes

(54:55):
forward as the potential owner, understanding the arena situation, understanding
the economics, because putting aside what somebody is willing to
pay for the franchise, we want to make sure they're
in a position to be successful, and whether that means
sharing a building, you know, with the hockey team, or
whatever arrangement is put forward. That's what I meant before

(55:15):
when our team owners are on one hand, they're compete
like crazy on the court, but then they're all partners.
And I think part of the issues we'll be looking
at is will we be putting a team in position
to be successful in Seattle. I mean, I see no
reason standing here today why that shouldn't be the case.
But we're going to work through this process.

Speaker 9 (55:34):
Second row to and on the left him I Adam
Tim Bush and Seattle Times.

Speaker 7 (55:38):
Hey was the expansion fee brought up as part of
the conversation.

Speaker 10 (55:43):
With the owners today or.

Speaker 15 (55:45):
Expected to expansion fee, and do you believe the reports
out there of something north of seven billion potentially up
to ten billion to be an accurate range for what
the fee might end up being.

Speaker 12 (55:56):
The only discussion in the room was understanding the math
around dilution in terms of projections and what's the direct
reduction in existing revenues to teams if we were to
expand beginning in twenty eight twenty nine. We did not
discuss franchise value per se in these meetings. Of course,

(56:18):
certainly with our bankers, we have a sense of where
we think that value exists, but at the end of
the day, the marketplace will determine.

Speaker 16 (56:25):
That the presumption has been you guys are going down
this road with expansion, you know, work with pgat making
this public that expansion will happen. Is there a chance
that there is no expansion and why would that occur?

Speaker 12 (56:42):
So there's absolutely a chance expansion may not happen, and
that's why we were careful to say exploring the process.
And it's also possible that we could expand to one
market and not two to two or zero markets. That's
sort of what's on the table right now. As to
why it might not happen at least standing here today,

(57:04):
there's nothing that I see in the relatively short term
future of this league would that that would indicate in
any way that there won't be enormous interest in those
markets and that the board will continue to support moving forward.
I should say, at the right time, it will require
three quarters of the owners supporting it, but we wouldn't
be moving into this step, and in fairness to parties

(57:24):
that are interested, was one of the reasons why we
wanted to make this formal announcement, because wherever those values land,
it's enormous undertaking. It's generally not just a single owner.
It's a it's a it's a group. It requires financing,
it requires arena planning, et cetera. So where the uncertainty
to me lies is in issues outside of the league.

(57:48):
That there's enormous instability in the world at the moment,
and we may ultimately conclude, for reasons completely out of
our control, that it's not the right time expand that
it's something that we should postpone and relook at at
some later time. And so that's really what our caveat is.
And I'd say, again, responsible earlier question, and not at

(58:13):
all because there's concern about it. But I think the
league is in such a strong position right now, and
there's such enormous belief in the future prospects of this
league that for the thirty teams, there was nobody in
the room saying, I really want to expand right now
because I could really use the money. It's very much

(58:33):
a strategic decision for this league, because, as I said,
you're selling equity, and part of the issue when you're
selling equity is you have to make predictions about future value.
And virtually everyone in the room said, I'm a buyer,
I'm not a seller. And so the real reason ultimately
to expand is if you see a strategic benefit, and
that's why we're particularly focused on Seattle and Las Vegas.

(58:54):
I see strong strategic reasons for both those markets, even
you know the question around from Portland before, I mean,
I think the Northwest United States, you know, as as
Tom Dunnan comes in and we get you know, a
revamped Portland Trailblazers and an an upgraded arena. I love
the rivalry that we had historically with Seattle. For this

(59:16):
isn't a reason expand, but it makes Evan Washing our schedulers'
lives easier if you have a team in Seattle along
with Portland, and I think they Las Vegas has very
much become, you know, the entertainment capital of the United
States and seemingly with an insatiable appetite for for more sports.
But again, you know, we'll we'll take a close look there.
I mean, you know it, there's been a certain you know,

(59:40):
economic factors that even have affected Las Vegas recently. So
that's part part of what you have to look at
as well over time.

Speaker 3 (59:47):
All right, there you go that as the Commission of
the NBA, Adam Silver, earlier today all the expansion talk
and then so we've got a lot to get to today.
Four one four five one. That is the text line.
We'll get to your thought and also hear your talk
backed as well, massive step forward to bring the NBA back.

Speaker 2 (01:00:05):
We're live with the Queen An Beer Hall nine three
point three kter FM.

Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
From the R and R Foundation specialist broadcast studio. Now
back to He and Furnez, powered by Seattle's closest sports
book Snow call Me Casino and Hotel on Sports Radio
ninety three point three kJ R FM.

Speaker 17 (01:00:48):
Like soccer, I'm happy if my neighbors are happy about
the Sonics coming back. I don't watch soccer and I
don't watch NBA basketball, and I'm not that excited about
the Sonics because I remember when they were here and
how they treated us trying to get a ticket. They
didn't care, how about blacking out games and stuff. I'm sorry,
but I wasn't sad to see them go, and the

(01:01:09):
state of the NBA right now, I don't care if
they come back or not.

Speaker 7 (01:01:14):
I won't watch them.

Speaker 14 (01:01:15):
Ian do you think Collabor will come back or is
he stuck in Portland?

Speaker 18 (01:01:22):
Hey guys, I was just wondering, is it possible that
Kevin Collabor could come back and do our play by
play for the SuperSonics if and when they do come
back to Seattle.

Speaker 3 (01:01:35):
Thanks, all right, let's tackle all those real quick. I'll
start a collabora and think get the other one. The
other one really intrigues me.

Speaker 2 (01:01:42):
That's a casey question. He's in Portland. I know this.
He refused to go to Oklahoma City with the Thunder
and he I know. I did speak to him.

Speaker 3 (01:01:53):
I saw him last year at an event here and
and I kind of was busting his chops because it
remember the last it was flat June was at the
Emmys and I said, hey, you guys, you know hey,
because we thought.

Speaker 2 (01:02:04):
The NBA was going to have an announcement that summer.
It didn't. I said, I can't wait ta get you
back to I don't know.

Speaker 6 (01:02:08):
Man, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:02:08):
I'm getting old, I'm getting along on the tooth.

Speaker 3 (01:02:10):
I don't think there's any chance in the world that
you could put an NBA team on television it's called
the Seattle SuperSonics after twenty years of being gone, and
not have Clevin Clabra on the mic.

Speaker 2 (01:02:22):
That's just my opinion.

Speaker 3 (01:02:23):
I can't speak for him, but I just it's the
only right thing to do is to have Casey on there,
and then we would have the two best TV play
by play guys in the NHL and the NBA, and
foresel in Casey and we win.

Speaker 2 (01:02:34):
So I hope he comes back. That's a Kevin decision.
We'll have him on the shows one of these shows
soon enough, and move on the other guy. Listen. I
understand the frustration with the league.

Speaker 3 (01:02:46):
I understand the acrimonious relationship we've had with the NBA.

Speaker 2 (01:02:51):
It's all eight.

Speaker 3 (01:02:53):
The one thing I'm gonna take because I don't want
to tell people how to think. But let me just
take exception with a fact in terms of one thing
you said, they didn't want you here.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
This is not the same ownership.

Speaker 3 (01:03:03):
This is not Howard and this is not Clayton Bennett,
and this is not David Stern. So my advice to
anybody asking, and you're not, but I'm gonna give it
to you anyway. If I can get over it, you can.
We need to move on. We need to move on.
But I'm looking at texts and people haven't moved on.
Let's get to come more talkbacks.

Speaker 18 (01:03:25):
I need me some Kevin Collaboro Sonics, do you come
back to town? I gotta hear me some get on
up from the downstroke.

Speaker 7 (01:03:36):
Chicken in the farmyard.

Speaker 15 (01:03:37):
Baby, let's go.

Speaker 2 (01:03:40):
There's people want Casey Beck. Let's keep going. Fire away.

Speaker 19 (01:03:45):
As somebody who worked for the Sonics for a number
of years and made a lot of friends, and I
was devastated when they left, and I was hYP for
all the different false starts that they would return. I'm
looking forward to it, but I'd be lying if I
didn't say I wasn't a little tuckered out at all,
So I'll save it. I'll save my excitement for when
it's really announced and for the tip tip off. But

(01:04:07):
cu're's thing twenty years, David Stern said, twenty years. It
almost feels like the NBA was locked onto that.

Speaker 3 (01:04:16):
I think there. That's not lost on anybody. Yeah, we all,
it's it's think we said that. For a while, we
thought twenty twenty eight would be the date, and lo
and behold, twenty twenty eight seems to be the date.

Speaker 2 (01:04:26):
All right, keep going.

Speaker 20 (01:04:27):
Just very cool to hear David Lock on the radio
again on kJ R. I hope he gets paid for
the locked on sports, Locked on this, locked on that
you said across the media landscape, locked on David Lock Sports,
It is pretty good marketing.

Speaker 3 (01:04:45):
He owns a company, so he does, he does. Okay,
he's actually Andrew's.

Speaker 2 (01:04:49):
Boss when he thinks about it.

Speaker 4 (01:04:51):
Yeah, and Crawford's of one of their bosses.

Speaker 3 (01:04:53):
Actually he's he's in sure I need to talk. I
kind of call him back. Crawford, Corbin andres All fall
under that.

Speaker 10 (01:05:03):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (01:05:06):
I don't think he knows what he got himself into.

Speaker 3 (01:05:09):
How many do you have a far away Hi.

Speaker 9 (01:05:12):
I was one of those people that said I'm not
going to get excited until I see a team on
the court, and I must admit.

Speaker 7 (01:05:18):
I was wrong. At nine o'clock when I.

Speaker 20 (01:05:20):
Heard the message that they'd approved expansion in Seattle and dagas,
a rush of emotions had been suppressed from anger and hurt.

Speaker 2 (01:05:32):
Came bursting out with all the memories and when we
had a team and the good times. I'm so jacked.
Let's go Sonic. All right, there you go. That's those
are talk back.

Speaker 4 (01:05:41):
I do have a couple more that just came in.

Speaker 2 (01:05:44):
Are they playable? Have we have? We listened to them?

Speaker 4 (01:05:46):
Luckily we have.

Speaker 3 (01:05:47):
I don't have a dumb button in front of me,
and I just took the SEC test. I don't want
to get fined.

Speaker 4 (01:05:50):
I haven't taken mine yet, so it's okay, I'll take
the fall.

Speaker 8 (01:05:56):
Want to talk about the Sonic How I'm the good
luck come of the North but god of Seattle sports.

Speaker 2 (01:06:03):
Hey, I'm Jay?

Speaker 8 (01:06:04):
Yeah, yeah, you jake some Mariners when they were up
to oh you called Sam Darnold a ginger gino and
didn't trust him to go anywhere.

Speaker 2 (01:06:12):
So that's completely inaccurate.

Speaker 5 (01:06:15):
I only talk about good things when they.

Speaker 2 (01:06:18):
Happen, and then I take the credit later.

Speaker 3 (01:06:24):
Can we He's sick still right, like like the voice
is still gone.

Speaker 2 (01:06:30):
Real MJ, not fake MJ.

Speaker 4 (01:06:31):
Yes, yeah, he's Why.

Speaker 3 (01:06:32):
Don't we just have Why don't we just have fake
MJ do a couple shows?

Speaker 4 (01:06:38):
Not a bad idea? His number is connected to as
I can.

Speaker 3 (01:06:41):
I mean, can you just give it to Purple Sheet
and tell MJ feels better? We'll just have MJ part
two do shows for.

Speaker 2 (01:06:47):
A while, right, Yeah, just do that?

Speaker 3 (01:06:49):
I mean, don't get Should I get the text messages
for Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:06:53):
We have to do that, all right?

Speaker 2 (01:06:55):
Okay, I'm so ample.

Speaker 3 (01:06:57):
I need lighter fluid, a date of when they're coming back,
to be jacked and fully excited that they're actually coming back.
That's from the five on nine twenty twenty eight. I
know it's not official, but it's twenty twenty eight. That
should that help you? As a lifelong super Sonics fan,
says a five on nine, I'm excited, but numbers slow
to waking up too, but none and slow to waking
up to it.

Speaker 2 (01:07:15):
Let's see, born and raised.

Speaker 3 (01:07:17):
In Bothels is the five nine in March NBA game
Larry Bird and the Celtics take on the Sonics double
overtime and overtime in the Kingdom.

Speaker 2 (01:07:24):
I was seven years old.

Speaker 3 (01:07:25):
Yeah, four five today means nothing for exploration only Silver said,
couldn't be two markets, one market, zero markets until we
actually have a team.

Speaker 2 (01:07:33):
This means nothing.

Speaker 3 (01:07:35):
I'm gonna emphasize this once again. This is not a
nothing burger.

Speaker 4 (01:07:39):
This is this is you wouldn't be doing this if
it was.

Speaker 3 (01:07:42):
This is not a nothing burger, period, end of story.
I'm so stoked about today as a two o six.
I cried as soon as Chuck told us this morning.
I can't wait. Yeah, Chuck and Bucking those guys broken
it like it's what time was that like seven to fifteen.

Speaker 4 (01:07:57):
In the morning, Yeah, it was before eight.

Speaker 7 (01:07:59):
I know.

Speaker 2 (01:08:00):
Four two. I honestly can't celebrate till they give us
a team officially.

Speaker 4 (01:08:03):
That's fair. I think one of you know that reflects
on one of the voice texts as well, you know,
being tuckered out from the false starts.

Speaker 3 (01:08:14):
So Michael says, so possibility, no expansion happens, so we
may get all this hype going, and so'll be denied.

Speaker 2 (01:08:22):
I have such trust issues with the NBA.

Speaker 3 (01:08:23):
I can't get excited yet, not till I see the
new owners holding a Sonics jersey with a twenty eight
on it.

Speaker 2 (01:08:31):
I get this man two of six.

Speaker 3 (01:08:34):
I'm not in the celebrating till it's official camp. But
even me, the staunchiest of all skeptics regarding the NBA,
after we meet today feels different in an irreversible ways.

Speaker 2 (01:08:42):
As chip.

Speaker 4 (01:08:44):
I like this one from the four two to five.
My daughter is eleven. She just got into hoops, just
made an AAU team. Everything is Caitlin Clark and Michael Jordan.
I was her age when the Sonics went to the
finals against the Bulls. Now I can share with her
why I love hoops growing up and at her age.

Speaker 6 (01:09:02):
I like that.

Speaker 4 (01:09:04):
I think sharing sports is what makes sports special.

Speaker 3 (01:09:06):
I one hundred percent agree. I one thousand percent agreed.

Speaker 2 (01:09:12):
Uh did you do? Let's see what else we got here.

Speaker 4 (01:09:16):
Let's go from the two five to three. It's nice
to see the powers that beef finally pulled their heads
out of their collective bleeps and finally did the right
thing and gave Seattle back our Sonics. And we're not
there yet, but we're on our way.

Speaker 2 (01:09:30):
I'm gonna just we have a lot of techs.

Speaker 3 (01:09:33):
Yes, I'm gonna sum it up with this, okay, because
I don't think it's I don't I'm not in the
mood to read negativity today, but I respect people's opinions,
and so if you need to take the time, trust me,
I'm going to say we're at maybe it's fifty to fifty,
maybe it's even sixty forty sixty forty fifty five forty

(01:09:56):
five of people that are either not excited or still
so mad at the NBA they can't get past it.
You know, I think maybe we are more hyped than
a lot of people from our listener standpoint. And it's
been the way Jess, You've been watching you and Ander's
been watching these text for a while. Yeah, it is

(01:10:18):
a very very tepid response, lukewarm at best to this
news that we're getting from fans.

Speaker 2 (01:10:27):
Now.

Speaker 3 (01:10:27):
Sometimes we also hear from a vocal minority and not
the majority. I get that, but I'm I'm still I
thought today would be the day we'd see a lot
more positivity on the text line than we are right now,
and took on my Dodge text line.

Speaker 2 (01:10:42):
July will be different.

Speaker 4 (01:10:43):
I agree.

Speaker 3 (01:10:44):
I think there will still be those however, in July
that are like whatever, Man, the NBA is dead to me.
But I understand why people are little lukewarm today. I yeah,
I think that's a great way to put it. You
know who's not lukewarm?

Speaker 21 (01:11:00):
Never, he's with us next.

Speaker 3 (01:11:13):
All right, we're back, Marie digital fastest because people asking
about ownership. Okay, this comes from the one roof sports entertainment. David, Yes, Yes,
Seattle has long been ready.

Speaker 2 (01:11:25):
For this moment. God, that's true. Since two thousand and eight.

Speaker 3 (01:11:28):
Over the last decade, one roof Sports Entertainment has built
Climate pledger in into an incredible home for live sports,
and as NBA ready, we have launched the Seattle Cracking
and demonstrated our deep commitment to our community and the fans.
We are ready to work with the commissioner in the
league after their direction to explore bringing the NBA back
to Seattle. We share the excitement of the city's passionate
fans and let's go. If we are successful, our focus

(01:11:49):
will be on ensuring the long term sustainable success of
an NBA team in Seattle. Basically, they're going after the team.
We'll see if there's other bidders. That's right, A gentleman
by the name of Todd Todd l Todd LWICKI, one
roof Sports and Entertainment CEO, is going to join you
at three o'clock today.

Speaker 6 (01:12:08):
I love it. Let's go.

Speaker 3 (01:12:09):
I mention I mentioned this to to Jess and I
think even you esterday crosstalk in Since two thousand and
when did liwiki got back here?

Speaker 2 (01:12:18):
He twenty eighteen.

Speaker 15 (01:12:19):
Right, ninety nineteen, correct, right when they were talking about
launching the crack, and in twenty twenty and then covid.

Speaker 2 (01:12:25):
Hit so twenty eighteen.

Speaker 3 (01:12:27):
How many interviews do you think he's done that He
hasn't been asked about the NBA.

Speaker 15 (01:12:30):
Oh, I think every single one, to be honest with you,
I just want to know when they open up the
ticket deposits for the Crack for the I Sonics and
they get forty eight thousand, well they hang a forty
eight from the rafters alongside the thirty two.

Speaker 6 (01:12:43):
Forty eight thousand depositors.

Speaker 3 (01:12:45):
Don't mindersings don't even have to do that. What ticket
deposit thing? I mean to prove anything we do do
it for they'll sell your tickets. Yeah, they'll sell your tickets.

Speaker 6 (01:12:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (01:12:55):
Well, you know it's funny because I was looking at
it's funny. I brought that up just randomly. I was
watching the movie F one the other day with Brad Pitt,
and so I went online because I'm just curious, Hey, like,
what would tickets cost to go to like Vegas.

Speaker 6 (01:13:07):
Or Monaco or whatever F one event?

Speaker 15 (01:13:10):
Right, so you go to the F one website and
you put a deposit down on tickets?

Speaker 6 (01:13:14):
Okay, well, then how much is the ticket? They don't
tell you that.

Speaker 2 (01:13:17):
It iss right, what's the deposit?

Speaker 6 (01:13:19):
It's like five hundred bucks.

Speaker 15 (01:13:20):
Honestly, it was like five hundred bucks for hospitality, a
hundred bucks for general mission whatever.

Speaker 6 (01:13:24):
But I'm giving you one hundred dollars.

Speaker 15 (01:13:26):
Can you then let me know when the tickets come
up for sale, how much will they cost? Well, we're
not ready to say that yet. Is it's non refuned
of God and those bast everyone? So who knows. Maybe
liwiki does the same thing. Give us your money. How
much will the seats bee? We don't know, ask.

Speaker 2 (01:13:42):
Him that, I say it just like that.

Speaker 15 (01:13:43):
Oh god, yeah, well we're excited to have him on. Look,
this is a big day. Obviously, dude. I mean, it's
not surprising that the news came down the way it
did today. I think a lot of us were expecting
the news to come down the way it did today.

Speaker 6 (01:13:56):
But it's just another step in the process.

Speaker 15 (01:13:58):
And it feels like, as we talked him, the biggest
one since two thousand and eight, if not since twenty
eleven when Chris Hansen tried to buy the Kings from
the maloof Brothers.

Speaker 6 (01:14:07):
Uh, it's happening, and I I look, I get it.

Speaker 15 (01:14:10):
Disaster can happen, right the stock market could crash, everybody
loses their money, blah blah blah, you know, outside of
something like that. And I love the way Adam Silver
you know phrase that today. You know the uncertainty of
the world. You know, whatever time we get, if we
get attacked in this country and things go to hell

(01:14:32):
in a handbucket or hand basket, then maybe that could
be the case.

Speaker 6 (01:14:35):
Maybe.

Speaker 15 (01:14:35):
But they're not doing this unless they know that the
bids they're looking for are out there. They're not putting
the effort for it unless they know the bids are
out there.

Speaker 3 (01:14:42):
There's there's things about this whole process that are kind
of laughable. Right when when he makes it sound like
we haven't had conversations with anybody yet, we're just opening
up the bidding.

Speaker 6 (01:14:50):
Yeah, I just don't believe that. I don't either, do you.

Speaker 3 (01:14:52):
Well, I know it's not true, and so does the
guy you're talking to at the top of the hour.
But because they've had conversation, I mean, well, and they've
talked to Bill Foley in Vegas, right, the owner of
the Knights in the in the arena, Right, that's the
one that that's the wildcard to me. And I asked
David Alders that earlier, like, that's that's kind of the wildcard,

(01:15:12):
is would they go an odd number?

Speaker 2 (01:15:17):
That's the wildcard because we're ready.

Speaker 3 (01:15:20):
Hey, now we officially have a group that stepping forward
to make to be part of the bidding process.

Speaker 6 (01:15:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:15:25):
Two, we have the building Vegas. The building isn't what
they want right now. I got too many events and
and all that.

Speaker 15 (01:15:34):
So what they play in the sphere, how's that sound?
Can you imagine what they guys are vomiting over the floor?

Speaker 2 (01:15:40):
Well, I mean, would they play in a like in
Caesars or in those places for a while.

Speaker 15 (01:15:43):
They got t mobile arena, they've got other arena mobile
yea temporary facilities where they could play down there. But
you're right that you know, this is everything you need,
everything's already done. This is totally different than it was. God,
what was it now? Was it twenty twelve we're talking
about So we're talking four team fifteen years ago when
nothing was ready. There was nothing ready back in there. Well,

(01:16:04):
and that's when you talk about Chris Hansen like like
they were literally talking about temporarily playing their games at
Key Arena. Yeah, before they got the arena built, right,
And that's I mean, and Key Arena was still always
the issue. And then now it's no longer an issue
with climbing plage, that's right.

Speaker 6 (01:16:16):
I was.

Speaker 3 (01:16:16):
I mentioned this earlier, the issue they got. Now we
had to move. There's a bunch of you know that
that NBA locker room is used for storage. Yeah, we
have a URTV stuff in there. Yeah, well but it's there,
it's I walked by it every day.

Speaker 15 (01:16:28):
NBA locker room. It's ready to go. You know that
that arena. You know I told this to Chuck this morning,
and you know this as well. Yeah, you know, no
disrespect to any other franchise or any other event.

Speaker 6 (01:16:37):
But that arena was built for one.

Speaker 15 (01:16:39):
Thing, and that's for the NBA, because the NBA is
the top of the mountain. The NBA is what needs
the most space. The NBA is what needs the locker rooms.
The NBA is what needs the loading docks. And everything
was done with the NBA in mind, and everybody else
can come in behind them, right, Like I mean, you've
been down to the loading dock area. I mean, for
those that don't know, the old Key Arena loading dock
had spaces for I think two trucks.

Speaker 6 (01:17:01):
This thing is gigantic. I mean, honestly, it's it's.

Speaker 15 (01:17:03):
Unbelievable, like you could build an entire apartment complex down there.

Speaker 6 (01:17:07):
Well, it's so big.

Speaker 3 (01:17:08):
When people people talk about the Key Arena like, well
you know the reason was this the reason kierna. You
could get one semi in at a time, right, you
could barely get a bus in there to put teams
in there. Yes, and none of those problems existed anymore.
They built this thing the right way. They didn't mess around,
and and so we're past all that.

Speaker 6 (01:17:24):
They had foresight when they built it.

Speaker 15 (01:17:25):
That's the word that I use a lot, because I
remember going to the finals in ninety six when we
played Chicago.

Speaker 6 (01:17:29):
Were you there by the way? Did you go to
the finals and tri Cities?

Speaker 4 (01:17:33):
No?

Speaker 2 (01:17:33):
Actually, I'm a way to Salt Lake?

Speaker 6 (01:17:35):
Gotcha? Well, we we all went to Wavedago.

Speaker 2 (01:17:37):
I waved it.

Speaker 15 (01:17:38):
Hey, all of us went to Chicago. The Tom Lee
sent the entire radio station. I think there was like
twenty of us, which is amazing. And I remember walking
into the United Center thinking, God, this place looks nothing
like Ky Arena. No, I mean it's not even even
the Rose Garden. When they built it looked way better
than our arena. Did This place looks like it's gonna
stand the test of time. This place looks like you

(01:18:00):
could open it in five years from now and it
would still be good to go.

Speaker 3 (01:18:04):
We have we have people coming in from all the
NHL teams every week and and and every game, and
to a person they have said best building in the league.
And they go to NBA buildings obviously as well they
say it's not even close.

Speaker 2 (01:18:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:18:18):
Uh, they spared no expense. It's a perfect building. When
I went to the NCAA tournament games last year, as
the first game, I you you won't go to Starbucks?

Speaker 2 (01:18:26):
I will not go to an NBA exhibition game.

Speaker 6 (01:18:29):
Why not?

Speaker 2 (01:18:30):
It has to have Sonics.

Speaker 3 (01:18:32):
Okay, I'm not I'm not doing it, got it, because
you know what, we're better than that, right. But I
went to the We're an NBA city, We're not an exhibit.
You know what, play and spoke.

Speaker 6 (01:18:40):
You didn't go to the games the Okay, no, I.

Speaker 3 (01:18:43):
Don't want, I don't watch. I'm not watching an NBA
preseason game in an NBA city. You go play that
game in Tri City, right. But my point is this.
I went to the tournament last year, the NCAA tournament.
I was I was expecting to be good for basketball.

Speaker 6 (01:18:55):
It's great for basketball.

Speaker 2 (01:18:56):
It's beyond good. Now.

Speaker 15 (01:18:57):
I went to the when Durant came in were Golden
State a couple of years ago, and he was wearing
the Sonic jersey.

Speaker 2 (01:19:02):
I was the Starbucks that day.

Speaker 15 (01:19:04):
I don't know why you do that, man, There's plenty
of other options, honestly, anyway, plenty of other options.

Speaker 2 (01:19:09):
You went just on Durant.

Speaker 6 (01:19:11):
That was fun, had a good time. But like I said,
it's a freaking exhibition game.

Speaker 15 (01:19:15):
I mean, I've been to one NBA game since the
actually two NBA games since the Sonics left one of them.

Speaker 6 (01:19:21):
Dick and I went to a Rockets.

Speaker 15 (01:19:22):
Game in Houston for the Final four, maybe in the
Super Bowl, but I'm not sure.

Speaker 6 (01:19:27):
We were there for some event and went.

Speaker 15 (01:19:28):
Oh, no, what, I like, I've been to three I've
been to a Blazer game when b Roy was down there.
It was on like a Jewish night or whatever sort
of God. They had a bunch of rabbis like hanging out, like,
you know, hats and stuff. It's really actually kind of fun. Anyway,
so we did.

Speaker 6 (01:19:42):
We did that.

Speaker 15 (01:19:43):
We went to Houston for a game, and then Dick
and I went to a Pacers game in Indianapolis.

Speaker 6 (01:19:47):
While we're out there for the Final Four.

Speaker 15 (01:19:49):
But the last basketball pro basketball game here outside of
that Durant game was the last game against the Mavericks
in two thousand and eight saves with Durant egging the
crowd on on that you know, fatass owner sitting in
his sweet because he was too scared to sit courtside.

Speaker 2 (01:20:02):
You are remember that game?

Speaker 7 (01:20:04):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (01:20:04):
I do?

Speaker 3 (01:20:04):
Yeah, yeah, four minutes away from today.

Speaker 6 (01:20:06):
Wiki coming up, we gotta go. Let's do it zip
For the.

Speaker 21 (01:20:09):
Mild mannered and marginally objectionable e Inverness.

Speaker 6 (01:20:13):
This is paddle Day, saying so long everyone

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