Basketball, death and a Sonic myth

Thu., Jun. 5 2008 @ 1:02PM

By JUSTIN KENDALL

Joe Axelson's death Saturday was a sad reminder of the Sprint Center's lack of an anchor tenant.

In January 1985, Axelson, general manager and president of the Kansas City Kings, announced that the NBA franchise would be leaving for Sacramento after the 1984-85 season. Axelson “said the decision was final and irrevocable and that Kansas City's only hope of retaining a pro basketball team in Kemper Arena would be through league expansion,” The New York Times reported.

Fans called Axelson “Fat Joe” and wore masks of the GM's face to the Kings' final home game at Kemper Arena.

Not coincidentally, the Kansas City Star packaged the story on Axelson's death with a story on KC's lack of interest in an NBA team. Reporter Randy Covitz repeated a myth about the SuperSonics considering a move to Kansas City.

“AEG, which is charged with bringing pro sports to Kansas City, flirted with two NHL franchises last year but has not made any public overtures to any NBA clubs other than Seattle, when SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett said he might consider Kansas City as an alternative to Oklahoma City,” Covitz wrote.

Kansas City never had a real chance with the Sonics. Bennett always intended to move the franchise to Oklahoma City. This was proven in the city of Seattle's lawsuit against Bennett to keep the team in the Emerald City. E-mails revealed in the case that were sent by Bennett and others within his Oklahoma City-based ownership group have clearly shown Bennett's intention to move the team to Oklahoma.

So, 23 years after Axelson's declaration, Kansas City is still waiting for another chance with the NBA.