There is a good book by Malcolm Gladwell called The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. In that book, Gladwell explains all of the factors that can create mass trends and movements in society. Starting with small events, that gradually gain momentum either naturally or with targeted effort until they reach the “tipping point”; the critical point just before mass dissemination. From health epidemics to fashion trends, there is always that one critical point in the movement where the momentum shifts and spills – “going viral.”

We reached a tipping point on Monday. We gathered around our radios, computers, cell phones waiting for the word from the NBA on the Relocation Committees recommendation. Tweets from CD5 stating “committee is still meeting” made our hearts freeze as we anxiously awaited the NBAs announcement.

Then the stunning news broke: the committee recommended DENYING the relocation.

Shock, disbelief, stunning. Then a few minutes later we heard the word “unanimous.”

I don’t know about you, but I fully, fully expected to hear the relocation had been approved. When the news was released I was physically sick. I had made the assumption that this time would be different. That the owners in the NBA were intelligent, objective, reasonable people who above all else, wanted a financially strong league. No matter what happened from 2006-2008, we did it right this time. We played by the NBAs rules.

Chris Hansen, Steve Ballmer, the Nordstroms and Wally Walker did everything right. They bought the land, they worked with the City and County, they began the design of the new arena, they even knew to upgrade Key Arena for the few seasons the team would be playing. We watched them as they perfectly executed their plan to bring back the SuperSonics . We overlaid our cautious hope with little rumors here and there that David Stern wanted the NBA to return to Seattle. Then, on January 21, 2026 THEY BOUGHT A TEAM.

As we watched our team perfectly and methodically move forward with preparing for the return of the NBA, we also watched as David Stern began to meddle in everything. This wasn’t a story line of “the little city that could” it was “the NBA Commissioner that would.”

The Tipping Point

Something isn’t right. We know that, our team knows that, and those that follow the NBA know it too. Something isn’t right.

We are at the tipping point here – we can either go back to rationalizing this, playing into the talking points forced down on us by the NBA and Sacramento. NO. That is THEIR STORY. We know OUR STORY.

Something isn’t right. The decision by the committee on Monday goes AGAINST EVERY DECISION THE NBA HAS MADE ON MATTERS LIKE THESE THE PAST 30 YEARS. Something isn’t right.

Remember that shock and disbelief on Monday? Then, remember how we shifted to WTF almost immediately? DO NOT FORGET THAT MOMENT OF CLARITY. That was the truth.

We found out then that our team had the same shocked response. We heard of Ballmer’s anger, and then we saw Chris’s post of not giving up. Don’t give up. Something isn’t right.

I know our team will do everything they can to continue to play by whatever rules David Stern makes up every day as we watch this move forward. I know they sense something isn’t right too.

This is it SuperSonic friends. This really is it. Don’t rationalize and justify this away – that is what the NBA and Sacramento want us to do. We know now it doesn’t work that way because we did everything right this time and look what happened. Something isn’t right.

Think back on Zombie Sonics, Sonicsgate, all the work by Brian, all the work by Hansen. DON’T GIVE UP.

This is it. This is the closest we are going to come to bringing the NBA back to Seattle. We have the best ownership group ever assembled to buy an NBA franchise, we have a purchase agreement with a seller who is getting more than what they originally wanted for the team, we have PRECEDENCE by the NBA on our side.

DO NOT GIVE UP. This is the Tipping Point – we need to channel our anger and that moment of clarity on Monday to call out the NBA. I know our team is currently making every single owner in the League fully and completely aware of the duplicity that their commissioner has taken in this process. We need to channel our angry energy to show our team that we are not giving up and we are not going away.

Remember, something isn’t right. This is the Tipping Point.