

Nets granted permission to relocate to Seattle.
March 27th, 2010.
On the eve of a road game vs the Bulls, the New Jersey Nets franchise has announced that they have been approved to relocate by the NBA owners' relocation committee. They have also set a date to announce its name and team colours.
Seattle has a rich basketball tradition with the Sonics having played there from 1967-2008. In 2008 the controversial sale of the Sonics to Clay Bennett led to the franchise’s relocation to Oklahoma City. Bennett is currently the chairman of the NBA’ s relocation committee and its believed he helped push the deal through.
Nets owner Schultz cares deeply about his community and ever since the Sonics left there has been letters, emails, blogs, public demonstration and an award winning documentary that have kept the loss of the Sonics in the spotlight and Howard Schultz has finally set things in motion to get a team back in Seattle, where professional basketball belongs.
The franchise said today that it would unveil the name and color’s simultaneously on its Web site and at a downtown event on June 25th, a few days after the NBA finals.
Schultz has recently signed a year long lease deal to rent the KeyArena, which is currently undergoing a major revamp.
The lack of city funding cost Seattle one franchise, and Schultz is anxious not to let it happen a second time. Schultz has one very prominent Seattle business man in his ownership team, Steve Ballmer. Ballmer could be the silent majority owner but Schultz has been the face of the bid to the public so far. Schultz and Ballmer have just signed off on the construction of a downtown Seattle arena, which will be completed in time for the 2012-13 season.
If the Nets complete their relocation from New Jersey to Seattle, it would be the fourth time this decade that an NBA team has pulled up stakes.
Other franchises to relocate in the last three decades:
2002 Hornets Charlotte - New Orleans
2001 Grizzlies Vancouver - Memphis
1985 Kings Kansas City - Sacramento
1984 Clippers San Diego - Los Angeles
1979 Jazz New Orleans - Salt Lake City
1978 Clippers Buffalo - San Diego
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