They've won a championship with DJ and the gang in 78, no?
I wish cities could stop their team through moving. It really is a market more than a sporting location though. Bottom line it is all about money.
Why should teams be stopped from moving by the cities? If you want that, then the cities should step up and buy the teams.
The facts are that owners OWN the teams. They make the decisions and they should be allowed to move their teams if they feel they can make more money somewhere else. It's their right, otherwise they wouldn't be owners and would simply be check writers.
The league is at fault for what happened to the Sonics. They are the only group with the authority to prevent teams from moving, or at least make their lives miserable if they do move. Unfortunately an OKC franchise was actually desired by the NBA after what they saw when NO played that season there following hurricance Katrina. It was bad timing for Sonics fans, since that team was the only one at the time in danger of being relocated. If somehow Seattle had kept them, we'd be talking about the OKC Zombie Sacramento Kings, not the Sonics.
Seattle will probably get another franchise...I am guessing Charlotte will lose its basketball a second time.