This was not a sudden, surprising act. It was a long time coming, the result of a bumbling past ownership, an indifferent state and city government, and Bennett's ulterior motives. That series of unfortunate events is expertly recounted and explained in the absorbing documentary, Sonicsgate: Requiem for a Team, which is available to watch on www.sonicsgate.org.
From 1978 to 1996, the Sonics were a model franchise, and in the late 1990's KeyArena, the Sonics' home court, was the place to be. Then, as longtime Sonics fan, author and poet Sherman Alexie explains, 'Jim McIllvaine becomes the apple in the Garden of Eden.' The stiff center is signed to a ridiculous contract, making more than superstar Shawn Kemp, which aggravates him to no end. Kemp demands a trade, paving the way for superstar Vin Baker, who becomes an alcoholic with a lethargic attitude. Upset over not being informed of team decisions, coach George Karl leaves in 1998. Owner Barry Ackerley sells to a group led by Starbucks founder Howard Schultz in 2001, and things really go downhill.
Schultz mistakenly operates under the assumption that the club could be run like his overpriced, super-pretentious coffee shops. (Apologies for the editorializing.) It couldn't. He was in over his head - one interviewee says he didn't realize how much an energy suck the job was - and his courtside antics do little to boost team morale, especially when the team loses more than it wins. He also clashes with beloved point guard Gary Payton, who is traded in 2003.
At the heart of this, outdated KeyArena desperately needs to be renovated, but Seattle politicians find little relevance in a team with dwindling fan interest. Plus, two city teams, the Mariners and Seahawks, had gotten approval for pricey new digs in the late 1990s. Schultz is losing money and can't renovate the arena without government help. So, he sells the team - for a giant profit - to Bennett and his Oklahoma cronies in 2006, with Bennett reassuring Schultz that the Sonics will stay put.
The situation in Seattle was perfect for Bennett. A lifelong Oklahoman, he wanted a team in Oklahoma City. He had a disinterested state and city government that was tired of talking about sporting arenas. He had a bad team that was not unifying the city. He had a super-chummy relationship with NBA Commissioner David Stern, which the documentary reveals through e-mails between the two men. Even Washington's gubernatorial race heated up just as the Sonics' 2008 season was ending and a move to Oklahoma loomed. The fans couldn't catch a break. Even when the city of Seattle sued Bennett for breach of contract, it settled before the verdict, which could have gone either way.
Sonicsgate employs a broad array of sources (government and city officials, sportswriters, former players and executives, and even Brad Keller, Bennett's crafty lawyer) so you see the unfortunate, ugly account from every angle. It's a fascinating story that doesn't rely on fans mourning. Director Jason Reid knows that the story doesn't need added drama. The movie's unsettling truth is out there for all to learn: A fan's love for their team can be taken away by outside forces, never to return. There is a dark, bitter side to being a sports fan, and Sonicsgate memorably shows that.
Watch out, he'll dunk on you.
