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Sports are big in the Northwest right now. On Friday we talked about the exciting Olympic Track and Field Trials that are happening at Hayward Field in Eugene right now. There is no doubt that running is a passion for many Oregonians. Independent sports, like running, seem almost more popular than the big team sports here. (Some would say this is partially due to our lack of a baseball or football team).
But this might be changing. Pro basketball is making a comeback. The Blazers, whose team members were once known more for run-ins with the law than shots at the basket, are quickly turning into a serious winning team. Brandon Roy, the rookie of the year only two years ago, wowed fans this year. Greg Oden, last year's first overall pick, is set to finally play in the 2008-2009 season after microfracture knee surgery. And just days ago the Blazers picked up Jerryd Bayless, the quick-shooting University of Arizona freshman guard.
Meanwhile just a couple of hours north on the I-5 basketball could be headed towards a very different future -- in a different time zone. The Seattle Supersonics' owner, Clay Bennett, wants to move the team to his hometown of Oklahoma City. But the city says they have to stay until their lease expires in 2010. A federal judge is due to issue a decision on Wednesday.
The Blazers and the Supersonics have been rivals for 40 years. Could it be coming to an end? What could a Sonics move mean to the future of the Blazers? Could Blazermania travel up the coast? Traditionally Seahawks and Mariners fans have driven north from Portland to watch their team play, but few have traveled the opposite way. Could that change? Might the Blazers become the team of the Pacific Northwest? Or would everyone be better off if the Sonics stayed and the rivalry continued? What do you think about the future of basketball in the region?
GUESTS:
Mike Golub, chief operating officer of the Portland Trail Blazers
Steve Duin, columnist for The Oregonian
Tagged as: basketball · nba · supersonics · trailblazers
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Rivalry? What rivalry?! In my mind the only true rivalry that exists is between Portland and the LA Lakers.
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I am a Seattle native who has lived in Portland most of my adult life. As a kid, I was a devoted Sonics fan; I attended one of the first games in 1967. I have three observations:
1. Except for a few diehards, no one in Seattle will ever care or think about the Portland Trailblazers. If the Sonics leave, the NBA will be dead to them, even if the Blazers become very successful.
2. The Sonics story breaks my heart. Especially with the NBA growing stronger and more interesting. The principals (Bennett and Stern) are making it hard for me to love the NBA, even from a distance. I am a Blazers fan, but if this can happen to Seattle, eventually it can happen here.
3. For whatever reason, Seattle seems particularly unable to solve its collective action problems. In this case, private sector leaders completely failed to help. Seattle's transportation problems are legendary. I would love to hear your theories about this. -
I do not understand the NBA salary cap. I understand, for example, that a multi-million dollar contract like that of Raef LaFrentz is a valuable trade commodity. Why is it attractive for another team to take over a large contract for an older player?
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These kinds of contracts are attractive if the contract is going to expire shortly (in a year or two). At that point, the salary no longer has to be paid, and reduces the total contract amount for the team, and potentially brings the team under the salary cap by a significant amount.
Teams can then either save money by not having to pay a penalty for exceeding the cap, or they might have the ability to lure free agents. -
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