NBA teams over the air stations

[ShawnHill1]

The Lakers didnt move from Minneapolis to Los Angeles until the 1960-61 season


http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/mpls/mplslakers.html

Your info is correct. So did they have TV coverage that first season? ???

Not until that season's playoffs.

 

[dadetim]

Let's see... for a while now i've been doing research related to this subject and I know that the local NBA team up in my neck of the woods (in Washington State) the Seattle Supersonics have had games on OTA on the following stations over the years (i'm not sure about the years):
KSTW 11 (formerly KTNT 11) now the area's CW affilate, was the area's CBS affilate also was an independent station and a UPN station
KMYQ 22 (formerly KTZZ 22 & KTWB 22) now the area's My Network affilate, was the area's WB affilate and an independent station
KING 5 which is the area's NBC station
KIRO 7 which is our CBS station, was our UPN affilate
KONG 16 which is a sister station to KING 5 and is also an independent station

We haven't had Sonics games on OTA tv for a couple of years as the sonics are currently cable exclusive on FSN Northwest.

let's just hope that they stay in seattle and not go to oklahoma city. guess i could root for the portland trailblazers if the sonics go to oklahoma city

 

[RicoGregg]

let's just hope that they stay in seattle and not go to oklahoma city. guess i could root for the portland trailblazers if the sonics go to oklahoma city

First, the Vancouver Grizzlies up & move to Memphis.

Now the present owners of the Sonics are attempting to move the franchise to Oklahoma City.

Vancouver, Seattle....Do you see a pattern here? :-\

 

[dhett]

Clearly off-topic now:

Does Charlotte NC fit into that pattern? They were the original home of the Hornets.

And when will the Utah Jazz give the nickname back to the city of New Orleans? Given that Utah is the Beehive State, Utah Hornets is appropriate.

 

[RicoGregg]

Clearly off-topic now:

Does Charlotte NC fit into that pattern? They were the original home of the Hornets.

And when will the Utah Jazz give the nickname back to the city of New Orleans? Given that Utah is the Beehive State, Utah Hornets is appropriate.

The "pattern" I was referring to was a northwest thing. Vancouver lost its NBA team, and Seattle has lost one Major League Baseball team (the Pilots 1970, who are now the Milwaukee Brewers), came within a whisker of losing the Seahawks to L.A. in 1996, and are apparently about to lose the Sonics.

I don't think however, that the Blazer fans in Portland have anything to worry about.


When the Jazz moved to Salt Lake City, they decided not to change the name because of the cost a new nickname, colors, and logo would bring.

When Art Modell moved the original Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, he agreed to leave the name, colors, & history behind. That, and coming up with a new name, colors and so on cost him several million dollars. Modell did try to buy the Colts name, colors, and history from Jim Irsay, the Indianapolis owner whose father moved the beloved Colts out of Baltimore in 1984. Irsay wanted $24 million to sell. Modell understandably passed.

Irsay wasn't trying to be difficult. To change everything from the uniforms, stationary, specially-ordered team equipment, signs, logo, team gear and merchandise, and so on would have been very costly. Irsay probably had all of that appraised and asked for fair market value.

New Orleans got the Hornets when George Shinn couldn't get a new arena in Charlotte, and a new one just happened to be built in New Orleans.

The vast majority of relocated sports teams have kept their nicknames and colors. It's just too much of a hassle to do all those needed changes. The Utah Jazz are now firmly ingrained in people's minds, after being in SLC for over a quarter-century now.

In the interests of getting back on-topic, I would like to know their TV history.

 

[bk77]

let's just hope that they stay in seattle and not go to oklahoma city. guess i could root for the portland trailblazers if the sonics go to oklahoma city

First, the Vancouver Grizzlies up & move to Memphis.

Now the present owners of the Sonics are attempting to move the franchise to Oklahoma City.

Vancouver, Seattle....Do you see a pattern here? :-\

Then again if the Portland Trailblazers wanted to leave where would they go? Las Vegas with its gambling could be a turn off for putting a team there and Louisville is a BIG college sport town. Maybe Birmingham but I don't know.

But among the top 50 markets I don't think there are any cities left for any team to go to, well ones that don't currently have any pro-sports at all.

 

[RicoGregg]

Then again if the Portland Trailblazers wanted to leave where would they go? Las Vegas with its gambling could be a turn off for putting a team there and Louisville is a BIG college sport town. Maybe Birmingham but I don't know.

But among the top 50 markets I don't think there are any cities left for any team to go to, well ones that don't currently have any pro-sports at all.

Actually, there is always somewhere for a team to go to.

Oklahoma City wasn't getting any second thoughts for an NBA team until they temporarily housed the Hornets after Hurricane Katrina, and sold out virtually every "home" game. There was some thought at the time that the Hornets might stay there permanently.

San Diego has lost 2 NBA teams despite good attendance figures, and has never had the NHL, even though they were at one time a hot minor league hockey market. Only the lack of a modern arena is keeping them out of consideration for a third NBA chance. Almost no chance of that happening as the city has already turned down the Chargers for a new stadium, and attempts to build a new one with private financing are not going well. With San Antonio having built the Alamodome for an NFL team that never came, and a very real possibility of a new, privately-financed stadium in the L.A. suburb of the City of Industry, it would take a miracle for the Chargers to end up staying in SD.

Kansas City, a former NBA city, has just built a brand spankin' new arena with no guarantees of an NHL or NBA franchise. There was a flirtation with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but that franchise signed a new deal to stay, and a new arena for the Pens should be a reality soon.

Only travel considerations have kept Honolulu out of NBA & NHL consideration.

Those are just a few of many possible scenarios for a team transfer. There are always options.

 

[bk77]

Then again if the Portland Trailblazers wanted to leave where would they go? Las Vegas with its gambling could be a turn off for putting a team there and Louisville is a BIG college sport town. Maybe Birmingham but I don't know.

But among the top 50 markets I don't think there are any cities left for any team to go to, well ones that don't currently have any pro-sports at all.

Actually, there is always somewhere for a team to go to.

Oklahoma City wasn't getting any second thoughts for an NBA team until they temporarily housed the Hornets after Hurricane Katrina, and sold out virtually every "home" game. There was some thought at the time that the Hornets might stay there permanently.

San Diego has lost 2 NBA teams despite good attendance figures, and has never had the NHL, even though they were at one time a hot minor league hockey market. Only the lack of a modern arena is keeping them out of consideration for a third NBA chance. Almost no chance of that happening as the city has already turned down the Chargers for a new stadium, and attempts to build a new one with private financing are not going well. With San Antonio having built the Alamodome for an NFL team that never came, and a very real possibility of a new, privately-financed stadium in the L.A. suburb of the City of Industry, it would take a miracle for the Chargers to end up staying in SD.

Kansas City, a former NBA city, has just built a brand spankin' new arena with no guarantees of an NHL or NBA franchise. There was a flirtation with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but that franchise signed a new deal to stay, and a new arena for the Pens should be a reality soon.

Only travel considerations have kept Honolulu out of NBA & NHL consideration.

Those are just a few of many possible scenarios for a team transfer. There are always options.

One state I have heard that will NEVER get a team of any pro-sport is Virginia. Yeah Norfolk and Richmond are more than big enough to support at least one team but Virginia does have that strange rule that I have been told that doesn't allow naming rights to indoor arenas that are funded with state money. Right there kills any chances.

West Virginia has a much better chance of landing a pro-sports team than Virginia.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

What about the "Virginia Squires" of the old American Basketball Association? Although they played in different venues during their time, they seemed to do well until selling Julius Erving and George Gervin to other teams.

 

[mleach]

What about the "Virginia Squires" of the old American Basketball Association? Although they played in different venues during their time, they seemed to do well until selling Julius Erving and George Gervin to other teams.

I brought up the Squires earlier. Yeah they did well for awhile ( though only in Hampton Roads, Richmond I am not sure and Roanoke, theyonly lasted a year there ) but two things hurt that team. One was the selling of Erving & Gervin, the other was TV coverage. The Squires, rare did any of their games appear on TV even though local Virginia TV back then was very local. The Norfolk market back then for example offered FIVE local talk shows and their only independent at the time WYAH channel 27 was owned by Pat Robertson. Of course he wouldn't pre-empt his own 700 Club for basketball. IMO had WYAH been owned by someone else or had WTVZ channel 33 had signed on the air a decade earlier, the Squires would have found a full time broadcast partner and may have been more successful.

 

[RicoGregg]

What about the "Virginia Squires" of the old American Basketball Association? Although they played in different venues during their time, they seemed to do well until selling Julius Erving and George Gervin to other teams.

I brought up the Squires earlier. Yeah they did well for awhile ( though only in Hampton Roads, Richmond I am not sure and Roanoke, theyonly lasted a year there ) but two things hurt that team. One was the selling of Erving & Gervin, the other was TV coverage. The Squires, rare did any of their games appear on TV even though local Virginia TV back then was very local. The Norfolk market back then for example offered FIVE local talk shows and their only independent at the time WYAH channel 27 was owned by Pat Robertson. Of course he wouldn't pre-empt his own 700 Club for basketball. IMO had WYAH been owned by someone else or had WTVZ channel 33 had signed on the air a decade earlier, the Squires would have found a full time broadcast partner and may have been more successful.

Too bad WYAH wasn't owned by Oral Roberts. Little known fact about OR: the man is a lifelong total basketball junkie. I'm told that he'll watch the game at any level at any time, any place, or on any channel. If he had owned channel 27, it could conceivably have been the first 24 hour basketball channel.

Glad to know that he's only human.

 

[dhett]

I always knew that, but then that's because I don't believe what the news media says, whether positive or negative.

Oral Roberts has been a fan of sports in general, and always emphasized sports at ORU because, as he said, the sports page is the world's Bible (paraphrased). It was always his vision of athletes sharing their faith through television and radio interviews and through public appearances in general. Unfortunately, the athletes they recruited didn't always meet up to such lofty expectations. Then again, neither has his own family.

Basketball, especially, was the athletic focal point at ORU, but they always had a decent baseball program as well.

If Oklahoma City does get an NBA team, I wonder if ORU's KGEB channel 53 would broadcast their games?

 

[ixnay]

I'm surprised the Philadelphia (later San Francisco, now Golden State) Warriors' and 76ers' (formerly Syracuse Nationals) local TV histories haven't been broached on this thread, given the City of Brotherly Love's status as a fertile hoops hotbed.

The Warriors moved to SF after the 61-62 season (I was in diapers at the time and wasn't, as my mom would say, "paying attention", so I won't discuss the Philly Warriors' TV history). Philly was in NBA Siberia in 62-63 but before the 63-64 season the Syracuse Nationals moved to Philly and became the 76ers.

To my recollection, the Sixers' local TV history is as follows...

? thru 1974-75: WTAF-29 (now WTXF Fox 29)
1975-76 thru 1981-82: WKBS-48 (COL Burlington, NJ) (went dark August 1983)
1982-83 thru ?: WPHL-17

The Sixers were still on WPHL when I moved out of the Phila. market in April 1985.

ixnay

P.S. I'm surprised the NY/NJ NBA/ABA teams haven't made this thread yet.

 

[bhayes1016]

P.S. I'm surprised the NY/NJ NBA/ABA teams haven't made this thread yet.

I can tell you that the Nets were on (W)WOR from their ABA days till the early 90s.

 

[banthony]

The ABA Nets were on WPIX-11 around 1971-74 and the Knicks were on WOR-9 (later WWOR) from the mid-60s (around the 66-67 season) until 1989 when all their games went to cable.

 

[zman]

Phoenix Suns:

1968-198? KTAR-TV 12 (KPNX since 1979)
198?-1988 KNXV-TV 15
1988-present KUTP 45

Question, when the Suns were on KNXV were they aired as part of the ONTV service or were they offered free OTA? or a combination of both.

 

[dhett]

Phoenix Suns:

1968-198? KTAR-TV 12 (KPNX since 1979)
198?-1988 KNXV-TV 15
1988-present KUTP 45

Question, when the Suns were on KNXV were they aired as part of the ONTV service or were they offered free OTA? or a combination of both.

Good question. Short answer: I don't know.

I'm not certain when the games came over to KNXV, but I do know that according to the KPHO Wikipedia article, the ON-TV service at KNXV only lasted until 1983.